Enceinte
by tiramisuspice
Summary: Unintended consequences to one night of passion force Maya to make decisions about her life, love, and future. Lucaya AU
1. Chapter 1

**I was just hit with an extreme wave of Lucaya feels... And I don't even know why. Next thing you know, Microsoft Word is open and I'm typing without blinking for a good four hours and literally write out the entire plot and a couple scenes of a story... **

**What the hell is wrong with me? Why am I starting a new story :/(Especially when I have an exam in seven hours I have yet to study for...)  
**

**Rated T for Tiramisuspice Stupidity (I literally have no self-control)**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own GMW, but Lucaya is bae.**

* * *

Maya blew out an anxious breath, pacing back and forth across her room's floor, trying to quiet her frantic heartbeat. She plowed through pile after pile of discarded clothing—clean or dirty, she couldn't make the distinction anymore—scraps of sketches she had yet to develop into paintings, and of course, textbooks she'd never bothered to open since the first day of classes quite a while back.

In her lack of attention, she stepped right onto an open tube of paint of which she had forgotten to replace the cap. Alarmed at the wetness sliding beneath her shoe, she snapped out of her worried trance and stared down at her feet. The blue paint had seeped out and stained her carpet.

"Shit…"

She snatched up an old t-shirt and stooped, absentmindedly rubbing at the stain. But even doing so, she could not keep any kind of focus whatsoever. Her thoughts were only on the device sitting innocuously on her desk. Maya stared at the big hand of the Hello Kitty clock Riley had gotten her for her birthday in their youth.

Three minutes to go…

* * *

_"Did you eat something bad, Maya?" Riley ran her hands up and down Maya's back, holding her hair back as her best friend upchucked everything she had eaten that morning in the latrine of the breakfast diner._

_Maya wiped her mouth and panted heavily, trying to regain her breath, "Not that I know of… I feel like shit." She groaned and pressed her cheek against the cool porcelain of the toilet._

_"I know that you're kind of out of it, but this bathroom has got to be full of dirty germs and you're kinda putting your face all over them and that's pretty gross." Riley shuddered in disgust at the thought of some dried, crusty poop touching her friend's face. Especially in this dank bathroom with floors sticky with unidentified excrement. Riley tried to ignore how being on said floor made her skin feel like it was crawling._

_"Shut up Riley." Maya groaned._

_She rubbed Maya's back, "Aw baby… If it wasn't bad food, then what could it be?"_

_"I don't know…"_

_"Maybe it's some sort of PMS? Don't you throw up when your cramps get bad?"_

_"No… Besides, I'd have to have my period for me to have PMS and…"_

_Maya tapered off in shock. A single image flashed through her mind. A provocative image. Male hands gripping her thighs hard enough to bruise. Her nails raking down his back. Tangled sheets and intertwined limbs. _

_"Shit…" she breathed out, her voice haggard and strangled._

* * *

There was no way to save the carpet. Her haphazard rubbing had caused the paint to further cling to the fibers of the carpet. If she wanted to get the stain out, she'd have to do a thorough clean up. She tossed the raggedy shirt aside and stood up, sighing heavily.

Cleaning was the last thing on her mind right now.

She started pacing once again, chewing on her thumbnail anxiously, hoping that maybe this one time, her intuition would be incredibly wrong and that she'd be able to go to school with a clear head and heart.

Maya adamantly refused to look at the box sitting innocently on her desk, mocking her in its own way. An elated grown woman holding an ecstatic baby, overjoyed. And here Maya was, seventeen, and about to find out just how fucked up her life was about to become.

Nerves riding her hard, she spun around and checked the clock once again.

The clock hand had only moved one pathetic minute.

* * *

_Riley blinked in confusion, "What? What's wrong?"_

_Maya sat up slowly, a high pitched ringing starting to climb slowly into her ears, "When was I supposed to get my period?"_

_Riley scoffed, "Why are you asking me that? As if I'd know when you're supposed to —"_

_Maya gave her an expectant look with a single raised eyebrow._

_"…the seventh."_

_"And today's date is?"_

_"It's the thirteenth."_

_Maya licked her lips slowly, her mouth having gone dry in a matter of seconds. Her pulse was skyrocketing. This couldn't be happening, right? She was just a little bit late, wasn't she? There was no way what she thought was going on was going on. No way in hell. But even so, six days late was pretty huge. And if she really calculated from that night and now… only one conclusion made sense._

_"…aya… Maya. Earth to Maya!" Riley shook her shoulders, "Are you feeling even sicker? You're going pale. Maybe we should call off brunch and go back home."_

_"…Riles… I think I'm pregnant." Maya whispered in shock._

* * *

Maya rolled her eyes in annoyance. Why the hell did time have to move so slowly whenever you needed it to go much faster?!

She knew doing something else would probably make the time move faster, but in situations such as this, she would usually paint. However, the therapeutic capabilities of her painting had failed her that morning when she had tried and the unfinished background of a new portrait sat forlornly in the corner, probably never to be touched again.

She needed catharsis. And she needed it now.

Maya entertained the idea of calling Riley, but knowing her chipper best friend, she'd unintentionally make her nerves increase tenfold. She flopped backwards on her bed with a groan, trying to pretend like she wasn't about to have a nervous breakdown. She blew out another breath, watching as a stray lock of wild hair flew up and landed in the middle of her face.

She rolled her head around lazily and glanced at the clock.

One minute to go…

* * *

_Riley started laughing, "Don't be melodramatic. A late period doesn't necessarily mean you're pregnant. Besides, you always use protection."_

_Maya stayed quiet, averting her gaze from Riley's amused glance. When Riley realized Maya wasn't agreeing or responding at all, the smile slowly fell from Riley's face._

_"You did use protection, right?" Riley said slowly, taking Maya's face gently in her hands to bring her eyes back to hers, "Maya. You made sure you were safe, right?"_

_ "I… think so." She said, frowning to try to remember, "Or at least, I thought we were covered. I can't really remember. I was kind of tipsy."_

_"Maya!"_

_"I know, I know. We probably shouldn't have hooked up half tipsy."_

_"This is serious! What if you really are pregnant?" Riley screeched, her eyes starting to look crazed. "Why didn't you guys use protection? The number one rule when you sleep with anyone is to use protection!"_

_"I thought we did." Maya said, the sick feeling in her stomach starting to grow once again._

_"How could you be so careless?!"_

_"I don't know! It's not like I planned it! It just sort of happened!"_

_"This is SexEd 101 Maya!"_

_"I know Riley! You think I would want to purposely get pregnant?!"_

_"Stop shouting!"_

_"You stop shouting!"_

_"Well I'm sorry! This is freaking me out!"_

_"I'm the one who's about to have a damn baby! Why the hell are you freaking out?!"_

_Riley took a deep breath and closed her eyes, opening them after she had calmed down a bit, "You know what? There is no point in getting worked up over all of this… Let's just go to the drug store, buy a test and then… and then it'll be clear, right?"_

_"And if I'm pregnant?"_

_"We'll cross that bridge if we get there."_

_"You mean when." Maya corrected sourly, already knowing what she was going to find after taking that test._

_"I mean if. Don't stress yourself over this right now. Let's take it one step at a time." Riley said, standing up in a flourish of lanky limbs, "For now, let's get you cleaned up. And then we can go buy that test."_

_Maya nodded, taking Riley's hand to get help standing up. But she already felt that foreboding, sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She just knew. She had a feeling the results would be positive. Positive in that she was pregnant…_

* * *

It was time.

Swallowing thickly, Maya rose from her bed and crept towards her desk, scared as hell of what she would see.

"Now or never Maya…" she muttered under her breath, picking up the test on her desk with one hand while covering her eyes with the other. "Be brave."

And then she uncovered her eyes and stared at the mini screen.

Two vertical pink bars.

Two vertical pink bars that, according to the box, meant that she was pregnant.

It was official.

She, Maya Hart, was _pregnant_.

"Fuck…" Maya breathed out, her voice so strangled and breathing so shallow that the sound almost didn't leave her mouth. Every part of her body felt heavy and her hands had gone cold and clammy. She could hear her heartbeat pounding a mile a minute in her ears. Blue eyes wide, she slumped to the ground, still staring at the offending test.

She could vaguely hear her mother telling her to start heading over to Riley's or they would both be late to school, but she was only focused on the two pink lines that signified the end of her high school career, the end of her hopes and dreams for the future, and the end of her life as she knew it.

_But what if it's a mistake? What if the test is wrong? _The optimistic voice in Maya's head chirped up.

Maya looked up at the box. 99% accuracy! It boasted. It only served to give the despair creeping up on her more fuel.

"I'm fucking pregnant…" she said, her voice wavering in disbelief. It was all so surreal and unbelievable. Part of her didn't even think this _was_ really happening.

She'd seen plenty of movies and TV shows in which the girl got pregnant in high school and had to deal with consequences of the pregnancy, but she never in a million years thought it would happen to her. All those years, mocking the girls who would end up accidentally pregnant on the shows, and now... she was one of them.

"Maya!" her mother shouted from down the hall, "What is taking you so long? Get going to school!"

"Be out soon!" she shouted back, mustering up enough strength in her voice to respond.

Two things had to happen: One, she needed to discuss this with Riley, pronto. Her mind was far too scrambled and racing to try to figure anything out on her own. She was spiraling; she could feel it. And she most definitely needed Riley right now.

And two: She needed to make sure her mother _never_ found this test. Ever.

So Maya ripped the box up into indecipherable miniscule squares and stuffed it at the very bottom of her trash can. She pulled up the trash bag, deciding to get rid of it now, rather than later. Then, gathering up her bag and her notebooks, she wrapped the test into some tissue and stuffed it in her pencil pouch. She slung her bookbag onto her shoulder, picked up the garbage bag and rushed down the hall to head out of their apartment.

_Play it cool Maya. If Mom doesn't see you're a mess, she won't ask questions._

Thankfully, Katy was facing the sink when Maya walked out into the living room, and she quickly rushed past her to head out the door.

"No breakfast, Maya?" Katy asked, still facing the sink, "This is one of my few days off where I can make you something."

"I'm, uh… I'm good Mom." Maya lied quickly, "They're doing that senior brunch thing at school, remember? I'll eat there."

"Okay." Katy said, "Hurry on up to school then."

Releasing a mental sigh of relief, Maya raced out the door and tossed the bag immediately in the apartment dumpster.

She headed toward the subway station, her mind, body, and soul weighed down by the single tiny test wedged in her messenger bag. She felt like the results of the test were branded on her forehead as she walked down the sidewalk. As ridiculous as it seemed, she could have sworn people were smirking and sneering at her, as if they knew what was currently growing in her womb.

As Maya passed by a small coffee shop on the way to the subway, she caught whiff of the strong scent of freshly ground coffee beans. Almost immediately, as if punishing her, her stomach lurched violently. Gagging loudly, Maya gripped her stomach and rushed over to one of the public garbage cans, dry heaving into it for a good minute or so. Her stomach was completely empty, yet it continued to fight her and attempt to upchuck even the air out of her stomach. She felt unbelievably sick.

Shaking, and eyes red and watering, she straightened up, wiping her mouth of the saliva and trying to catch her breath. People walked by giving her worried, disgusted, or amused glances, but she paid them no heed. Because only one thought was going through her mind:

_Fuck… I really am going to be a mother…_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you Angel for inspiration and some ideas for this story. Love you, gurl!**

**Thank you for the reviews! You guys are awesome :3**

**Disclaimer: I do not own GMW, but Lucaya is bae.**

* * *

"So… you're pregnant." Riley stated, staring at the test with a concentrated frown.

"Seems so." Maya replied in monotone, tracing the jagged lines on Riley's ceiling with her eyes.

"How do you know it's correct? We did buy a pretty cheap brand. Don't these things sometimes mess up?"

"99% accuracy, Riles." Maya drawled, "Let's face it. I'm knocked up."

Riley sighed and climbed up onto her bed, lying next to Maya, "So clearly we've gotten to that bridge now. What are you planning to do?"

"Honestly… I don't know Riley." Maya said, groaning, "Can you believe it? Pregnant in high school. Mom would kill me if she found out."

"You haven't told your mother yet?"

"No. I came here as soon as I found out." Maya lifted a finger when Riley opened her mouth, "And no. I'm not planning on telling my mom anytime soon."

"But don't you think you should?" Riley asked slowly.

Maya stayed silent, chewing on her bottom lip. Riley glanced at her friend in worry. She knew Maya was feigning nonchalance and peace, but inside, must have been experiencing turmoil of epic proportions. It was only a matter of time before Maya lost her cool and blew up. Riley had only seen Maya blow up once in her life before: when she sent her father a letter once, and she never received a response. It hadn't been pretty. Keeping stuff bottled up wouldn't be good for Maya in the long run.

Riley rolled onto her side, resting her head on her fisted hand, "Maya, talk to me. It's not good for you to be keeping things bottled up."

"My mom had me at seventeen and dropped out of high school…" Maya said after a long moment, eyes trained on the light on the ceiling, "Do you know what she's always had me promise her? She's always told me to wait to have sex. To resist temptation. She didn't want me to make the same mistakes she had in her youth."

"Maya…"

"And I just made the same damn mistake. I broke our promise..." Maya forced down the growing lump in her throat, "She'd kill me if she found out, Riley. I can't let her know."

"You will have to eventually, Maya. What are you going to do when you look like you've swallowed a watermelon?"

Maya chuckled halfheartedly in a weak response to Riley's light humor. At least she could count on Riley to keep the situation from turning dark. But even with Riley's calming presence, a heavy weight continued to grow on Maya's back, pushing her down, and she felt like her lung were constricting with each breath she took. As if water was slowly rising, and she was on the verge of being drowned.

"I can't tell her right now." Maya reiterated, her hands loosely resting on her abdomen. It still hadn't quite hit her that there was something growing inside of her. Like a damn tumor.

Riley sighed and closed her eyes, "So that brings us back to square one."

"What I should do."

"Right."

Neither said anything for a while, both laying on the bed, staring at the ceiling, lost in their own thoughts.

"I get to be the godmother, right?" Riley finally said when the silence had been stretched to its limit.

Maya snorted and rolled her eyes, "You're the only one in contention, Riles."

"Good to know." She looked at Maya seriously, "But all joking aside, when did this happen? Was there someone else after _him_?"

Maya shook her head, running her hand through her tangled mess of waves and blowing out an exasperated breath. "I couldn't. He was the last."

"So he's the father."

Maya nodded.

"Does he know he's the father?"

Maya shook her head.

"_Will_ he know he's the father eventually?"

Maya took a deep breath, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Riley, I still haven't come to terms with the fact that I'm pregnant. I don't even think I've accepted it altogether. I don't think I'm ready to tell someone else until we figure this out."

"Maya. He's the father of your child. Don't you think he deserves to know…" Riley frowned, "Especially since it's his fault you got pregnant in the first place."

Maya rolled her eyes, giving Riley a fond look, "Riley, you know sex requires _two_ people, right?"

"I know…" she pouted, "But I need someone to blame, and you're too precious so I blame him."

"Riley, you're ridiculous…" Maya said, smiling softly, "But thank you…"

"So what now?" Riley asked.

Both were impeded from answering the loaded question when Riley's room door suddenly burst open and Topanga walked in, a frown on her face.

"Maya? Riley? Why are you still in your room?" Topanga asked in concern, "You two should have been at school forty-five minutes ago."

She stared at the girls laying side by side on the bed and could immediately tell from Riley's apprehensive expression, and the wan and worn look on Maya's face that something was wrong.

She crossed her arms across her chest, "Alright. Which one of you is in trouble this time? And what happened?"

Riley glanced at Maya anxiously, and Maya sighed in defeat, sitting up slowly with a groan.

"…I'm pregnant." She reluctantly said, after picking at her nail polish for a good moment. "I took a test this morning."

Topanga's eyes widened significantly, and she blinked rapidly for a moment, still trying to grasp the information Maya had just relayed.

Licking her lips tensely, Topanga finally rectified her expression and sat on the edge of Riley's bed, "Oh Maya..."

"I know, I know…" Maya said, her eyes watering and tears collecting on her bottom eyelid, "You're disappointed in me, right? I failed you."

Topanga shook her head and simply took Maya's arms, pulling her gently into a warm hug. Maya went willingly, wrapping her arms around her and fighting the urge to break down and start crying.

"Maya. You will never be a disappointment or a failure to me, do you understand?"

"I ruined everything in my life because I'm so stupid." Maya sniffled, cuddled up against Topanga's side.

"People make mistakes. It's part of human nature and everyday life. Don't beat yourself up over this, please." Topanga tucked a strand of loose hair behind Maya's ear. "It's how you take this mistake and what you do with it in the future that counts, okay?"

"That's the thing… I have no idea _what_ to do."

"First things first, I'll try to get you an appointment with my OB as soon as possible, alright?" Maya nodded, wiping her nose with her shirt's sleeve, "And then, all three of us are going to have a talk. Stay here for a second."

Topanga released Maya and left the room to make that phone call.

Riley breathed out in relief, wiping away a stray tear lingering on Maya's cheek. "I am so glad another adult knows…"

"Yeah. Me too…" Maya said quietly, though that feeling in the pit of her stomach was only growing. Involving another adult had only served to make the reality of the situation even more daunting and bleak. This was getting serious now.

Maya was grateful that Topanga was so understanding, but she knew that deep down Topanga couldn't be more disappointed. Maya had let her down. Maya had proven all those naysayers right. No one expected some poor girl whose mother was barely home to make it in life. And she had done nothing but show them that they were correct this whole time. Like mother, like daughter. The apple never fell far from the tree.

They sat in silence waiting for Topanga to return, Maya loosely braiding Riley's locks in order to keep her mind distracted. A few minutes later, Topanga returned with a smile on her face to reassure the girls.

"Alright Maya. You're all set. You have an appointment for Friday afternoon after school. She'll be free until five, so show up any time before then."

"Wait." Riley said in concern, "But I have to babysit Auggie's playdate on Friday. I won't be able to go with Maya."

"I'm sorry Riley. There's no way I can reschedule." Topanga said with a sigh, sitting back down in her earlier spot. "Maya, you'll have to go to the appointment on your own. Unless there's someone else you can think of bringing with you? Cory, perhaps? Or maybe your mother?"

Maya vehemently shook her head, her wild coils bouncing around her face with reckless abandon.

"No. Neither of them can know. I can go by myself. It's fine." She asserted, quickly and forcefully.

Topanga and Riley glanced at each other, identical looks of unease on their features.

"Maya… are you sure you don't want to at least tell Cory?"

She shook her head again, staring a hole into the frayed edge of Riley's bed cover. She was already ashamed enough as it was telling Topanga. Telling Cory and having to see his disappointed expression and downcast eyes would kill her. He was as close as she had ever gotten to having a real father figure, and there was no way she wanted to ruin their relationship because of a stupid mistake. He had always believed she could rise above what people expected of her. She didn't want him to lose his faith in her because she had failed him.

"Please don't tell either of them…"

Topanga sighed and gently squeezed Maya's shoulder, "Okay Maya. I understand if that's what you want. What about the father of the child, then? Can he go with you?"

Maya's cheeks flushed slight pink, and she shot a 'help me' glance at Riley who returned her a sheepish look.

"Let me guess: the father doesn't know either?" Topanga said, raising a brow when she noticed the look the girls had passed to each other.

"I just found out this morning." Maya said quietly.

"But even so, you don't intend to tell him, do you?"

"I…" Maya sighed deeply, her shoulders slumping, "I'm not even sure what I'm going to do with the baby… I don't want to tell him until I at least have that figured out."

Topanga watched her carefully, "Are you thinking of aborting your child?"

Maya shook her head slowly, "I wouldn't be able to go through with that. Mom could have had an abortion, but she decided to keep me. She gave me a chance at life."

"Maya, that's a very mature decision to make."

"But I don't know if I could raise it myself." Maya continued, "Honestly, I might send it for adoption. And if I do that… then I can't tell him. Because what if he wants to keep it?"

_Oh God… What the hell would I do?_

Riley rubbed her back soothingly when Maya's pulse began to quicken and her breathing started coming out in choppy little pants. She was starting to hyperventilate.

"Maya. I know you're scared. And I know you want to figure all of this out on your own. I _applaud_ your want to do this on your own." Topanga took her hands and gently squeezed, to calm her down, "But you need to tell the father of your child. He has a right to know. And he has a right to be part of whatever decision you want to make."

"I'm scared…" Maya said, her lip quivering minutely, "Because I know what kind of person he is. He'll want to stick around and take care of the baby. He'll want to raise it."

"How is that so bad, Maya?" Topanga said, rubbing her thumbs along the back of Maya's hand. "Having the support of the father is something to be happy about."

_Because he'll end up wanting to leave me… _

"Maya, who's the father?" Topanga asked softly when it became clear Maya was struggling to respond.

She hesitated and licked her lips nervously, her hand shaking slightly.

"Maya, it's okay..." Riley said, still tenderly rubbing her back, "My mom's going to help us get through this."

Maya sighed deeply, "It's Lucas."

"Lucas Friar?" Topanga asked, a bit shocked at the revelation.

"I know right?!" Riley exclaimed, "I was so surprised when she told me they had–"

They both shot Riley disparaging looks, and she snapped her mouth shut, chuckling nervously.

"Nevermind…"

Topanga shook her head, "Okay. You better not tell Cory. He'll probably kill him."

"He _will_ kill him…" Riley declared, "After I kill him for getting you in this mess."

"Again Riley. We're both responsible." Maya sighed, turning to Topanga. "I'll tell Lucas; I promise. But I can't do it now. I'm not ready. I still need to figure things out myself."

Topanga nodded in understanding, "Alright Maya. I trust you to make that jurisdiction when it's time."

"Thank you. And thank you for being so supportive."

"Anytime, sweetie. If you need anything, don't hesitate to let me know, okay?" Then she frowned sternly at them both, "As for school, I want you both to get on the soonest subway and go right away. You are already late enough as it is. I know this has been a rough morning, but that is no excuse to skip school. You should have come to me first. Now get."

Sensing Topanga had reached the end of her patience, the two girls scrambled off the bed and hurried out the door and through the streets to get to school.

On the subway, Maya got sick once when a momentary stop at a station resulted in a plethora of aromas coming from an assortment of bodies (and unfortunately, BO), but Riley, thankfully, had a brown baggy that she let Maya use to hold the puke. The kind old lady nearby them gave Maya some peppermint gum and that helped quell her nausea temporarily. When they got off at their station, Riley purchased a mini toothbrush and toothpaste at the little kiosk so that Maya could clean herself up if she should happen to experience it again.

"Riley… I changed my mind. You can kill Lucas if you want to…" Maya groaned as they walked through the halls to get to second period.

The effect and flavor of the peppermint had worn off long ago, and Maya's nausea had returned. Though if she were to be perfectly honest, she wasn't certain if she could attribute it to actual nausea from the pregnancy or from her fears of seeing Lucas. Thankfully, the only class period they shared together was AP Bio after lunch, and she could easily skip and pretend she needed to go to the nurse's office because lunch upset her stomach.

"It's that bad?" Riley crooned sympathetically.

Maya nodded, decreasing the pace of their speed walking to a slow walk. Her body was not healthy enough to keep up with Riley's perkiness, "Feels like a really bad hangover…"

"Hmmm… Alright, stay right here for a second! Let me run to the nurse's really quickly and grab some of her peppermints."

Riley took off, clacking in her heels down the hall and around the corner. Maya sighed and leaned her head against the lockers tiredly. If this was what school would be like for the rest of the year with this… _thing_ in her, she wasn't sure she even wanted to come anymore. It wouldn't make a difference anyway. She wasn't planning on applying to any colleges. So ultimately, the purpose of high school was moot for her.

Begrudgingly, Maya realized this must have been exactly what her mother thought when she had gotten pregnant. That she should leave high school before graduating because it didn't make a difference since her future had been lost. She didn't want to follow directly in the footsteps of her mother. Besides, Maya knew she would eventually start to feel guilty if she left school for good.

Sighing, Maya rummaged through her bag, digging around to make sure she had remembered to grab her art notebook for class. She'd grabbed the first things she could see on her desk without paying attention to what was necessary for her classes for the day, so she wasn't even sure she was prepared for her lectures. There were some crumpled balls of paper left at the bottom of the messenger bag—failed assignments, she suspected—and Maya plucked them out and dumped them in the garbage bin at the end of the row of lockers.

A pungent odor drifted lazily up and smacked Maya directly in the face. Her insides immediately lurched in protest and all the colour drained from her face. Maya lost her footing and stumbled forward unsteadily, completely sucker punched by the stench. She was on a crash course to the ground, until two hands caught her shoulders, and she came to a graceful stop against someone's chest.

"Maya, are you okay?"

A familiar someone's chest.

_Shit_…

She looked up in alarm into the concerned face of one Lucas Friar, in the flesh. She couldn't help the little gasp that escaped her throat before she could control it. Never mind that his scent was calming her ailing stomach down, her heart was racing, she was nervous, and she couldn't help but feel like the thing in her was calling out to Lucas to let him know it was his. Any second now, Lucas would look down and just know she was carrying his child.

Her flight or fight response kicked in, and Maya knew she had to get as far away from him as possible. So what if she chose flight? Preservation came first and foremost.

"I'm fine." She replied sharply, a little too snappily, and pulled away from him quickly.

His eyes narrowed a fraction of an inch in confusion from the belligerence of her response, but other than that, he hid his reaction well.

"…It's just, you're kind of pale." Lucas scratched the back of his head, "You look a little sick."

"It's nothing." Maya said again, trying to recover her neutral expression. She was absolutely positive she was failing. "I'm just tired. Anyway, why are you out and about in the halls? Shouldn't you be in Gov right now?"

She knew it was a poor deflection of the topic and one Lucas clearly picked up on, judging by his furrowed brows, but at that point, she didn't care. Maya just needed to find a way to wedge herself out of the conversation and head to class. She really didn't want to speak to him right now.

"I got back from Texas late this morning. Just arrived at school."

Maya nodded in disinterest, silently begging Riley to hurry up and come back so she could save her from this conversation. She was in no condition to be talking to him right now.

"Hey Maya, can we talk?" he said after an extended period of her silence.

Her breathing sharpened, and she swallowed thickly, debating whether it was a good idea to make a run for it. From the way her stomach wouldn't listen to her, any efforts could result in her puking her guts out onto the floor, but it sure beat talking to Lucas at the moment. What the hell did he even want to talk about?

"What about, Ranger Rick?" she said breezily, feigning indifference, though she knew her expression was a little too fierce and guarded to appear aloof. And she knew Lucas could tell, judging by the fact that he was watching her very cautiously.

"I feel like… things have been weird between us for weeks." He started tentatively, gauging her reaction to his words.

_Great… This is the _last_ thing I want to be talking about right now._

Maya smiled widely and laughed, trying to adopt her usual nonchalance, "What are you talking about? We're fine."

"Maya, you look like you're about to hack into me with a machete." Lucas said in exasperation, "And you know we've been a little off since that night."

_Oh my God…_

This was literally the worst thing to talk about of all topics. She had to get the hell out of this conversation, and _fast_. Like an angel sent from heaven, Riley's loud clicking could be heard once again before she bounded around the corner, excitedly waving her handful of peppermints in the air.

"Maya! I got the peppermints from– Oh, hey Lucas." Riley's eyes widened, and she gasped dramatically, "_Lucas_!"

And that was Maya's cue, before things got even more awkward and fucked up than they already were.

"Well, I've gotta run. Riley needs me."

Lucas looked hurt by her blatant dismissal, but said nothing, watching her silently with a look of defeat. Maya knew it was a bitch thing to do, especially since they were supposed to be friends, but she ignored her guilt, and walked around him quickly to get to Riley. When the going got tough, Maya ran. That was her most successful and fullproof defense mechanism. It hadn't failed her yet.

Maya caught up to Riley and tugged on her sleeve to turn around and walk with her.

"What was that all about?"

"I'll tell you later," Maya moaned gratefully when she popped a peppermint in her mouth and the effect was almost instantaneous. "You're a lifesaver Riley."

Maya glanced over her shoulder as they walked briskly down the hall and cast Lucas' retreating figure an apologetic look.

_I'm sorry Lucas. _


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: ****Hey everyone! Just wanted to let you know that I already decided the gender and name of the baby before I published the story, so suggestions won't be necessary. But thanks anyway! :)**

**Also remember: Pregnant women are hormonal. And hormonal women are emotional.**

**Shout out to all of you who reviewed! It means a hell of a lot to me :3**

**Disclaimer: I do not own GMW, but Lucaya is bae.**

* * *

_It was warm. Not just the kind of warmth one got from basking in the sun, but all-encompassing warmth that heated one to the core. It was warm and comfortable, and Maya definitely didn't want to move any time soon. She had one foot in reality and the other wedged firmly in her dreams, and that's where she wanted to stay._

_But she knew she had to finish at least one Studio Art project every two weeks if she wanted to have enough pieces done before the art show in May. She could push it back, but then she'd have to double up the coming week, which wasn't ideal. She knew this week was bound to be a hell week of epic proportions since all the teachers were basically planning to have their first exams at the same time._

_Maya groaned and pried herself completely out of her slumber, trying to take stock of her surroundings. She was exhausted, never mind the light pounding in her head and soreness between her thighs. On cue, her stomach growled, and Maya realized she and Lucas had never actually eaten anything the night before._

_Lucas._

_Right._

_They had slept together._

_Got busy._

_Hooked up._

_Got it on._

_They did the do.  
_

_Maya turned over her shoulder and peered at the peacefully sleeping figure pressed up behind her. He was snoring softly, face relaxed, muscled arm thrown casually around her torso and completely oblivious to her creeper-like gazing. Dammit. Why the hell was he so damn attractive?_

_Maya frowned._

_It was surprising. _

_She had expected him to be gone in the morning. Run off to wash away their previous night's activities from his skin. _

_Yet, he had stayed._

_She could vaguely recall a moment where she had asked him to stay the night, but she thought he would just chalk it up to her drunk warbling and reject the request. She was fairly certain he had weight training in the afternoon, anyway. What would even compel him to decide to stay?_

_Something squeezed in her chest, something odd and tight and painful, and she quickly broke her gaze from his face with a soft sigh, laying her head back on her pillow. _

_This had to be a fluke. _

_He probably had been exhausted and needed somewhere to crash for the night. His mother didn't take kindly to underage drinking, and since Maya's hadn't been home, it made the most sense for…_

_Shit. _

_Her mom._

_Her shift usually ended by dawn and then it was a short commute back to their apartment. Her mother would always bring some breakfast for Maya and leave it on her dresser for when she woke up. And if she came in today, she would see Lucas. And shit would hit the fan._

_Inhaling sharply, Maya yanked Lucas' arm off of her and kicked off the covers, bouncing out of bed. She raced to her desk and checked the time._

_"Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck..."_

_It was a quarter past seven, and the sun was up and bright and shining in the sky. Her mother could arrive at any moment. Her mother probably_ would_ arrive at any moment.__ Maya slid on a tank top over her wild mane of hair in a rush and some boy shorts she found resting on her easel before spinning around and roughly shaking Lucas awake._

_His eyes opened drowsily in annoyance, but when he registered who it was, his lips curved into a goofy, sleepy grin._

_"Morning…"_

_Maya tried to ignore the way her heart began to double time and shook him harder, "Hey. Get up. You need to go."_

_He frowned and sat up, stretching languidly. Maya forced herself to keep her gaze on his face, and not his sculpted torso._

_"What's wrong?" he said in alarm when he noticed Maya's expression, "Maya, you look like you've seen a ghost."_

_"You're about to become one if you don't hurry the hell up and get your clothes on." Maya urged, "Look, my mom is going to be home any minute. You have to leave right now."_

_He stooped and picked up his discarded boxers from the floor, slipping them on after he'd kicked aside the tangled sheets._

_"Okay. But can we talk about this later?"_

_Maya's stomach dropped as she tossed him his shoes. She knew it was something that was inevitable, but she had wanted to avoid it for a little longer. She wasn't ready to address what had gone down between them the night before.  
_

_"About what?" she feigned not understanding._

_"About this…" he gestured between them, "…About us."_

_Maya frowned, ignoring his comment and righting a lamp they'd knocked over. She didn't want to discuss it. Discussing it meant addressing feelings and quite frankly, she didn't want to spend her Sunday afternoon sulking because he told her he had none for her._

_"There's nothing to talk about."_

_Instead of rushing to get his clothes_ _on as she would have liked, Lucas' expression sobered, and he watched Maya with a thinly veiled look of irritation._

_"Maya."_

_"I swear to God Lucas, if you don't put your damn clothes on, I'm going to force them on you. And I _will_ use my nails." She snapped, growling at him in irritation._

_Lucas got the hint and stood up from her bed, snatching up his jeans along the way. Maya had to use all the willpower she had in her body not to ogle him as he pulled them on. It was not fucking right for anyone to be that sexy._

_"Are you planning to just ignore this?" He asked in dissatisfaction as he tugged on his shoes, "We're going to have to talk about it eventually you know."_

_She swallowed thickly and stooped down, picking up his button down shirt before flinging it at him to speed up the process._

_"What's there to talk about? We were drunk last night. We slept together. The end."_

_He paused in putting it on and stared at her incredulously, surprised by her blasé attitude. She refused to make eye contact entirely and walked over to her window, prying it open to air out her room and checking to see if her mother was walking down the sidewalk._

_"Well then… what now?" He said lowly, anger laced in his words._

_Now? Now he would leave and forget all about this little incident. She didn't want to talk about anything. She didn't want to sit through a conversation of him apologizing and calling it a mistake. Proving to her that it had been a one-time thing and major fluke. Confirming what she already suspected: that she wasn't the kind of girl who could get good things in life. _

_Maya was just like her mother. She got left. And she knew if Lucas found somebody better, someone kinder and prettier and smarter with better goals for her future, he wouldn't stick around with Maya. It was better for them to cut whatever this was off immediately. It would save them both future heartache and problems. _

_No matter how many nights Maya had spent with her vibrator imagining it was Lucas' tongue, no matter how many times she had fantasized of a sexual encounter under the bleachers whenever he had pulled off his shirt during football practices, no matter how many times she'd wondered what it was like to be wrapped up in his embrace, to feel his mouth sucking on her neck or fingers touching her most intimate parts. No matter how much she wished they could enter a real relationship, this should _never_ have happened._

_"You leave, and we pretend like this never happened and move on with our lives. What do you say, Cowboy?"_ _She said blithely with a terrible faux country accent in a poor attempt at nonchalant teasing. _

_Lucas fell dead silent behind her, and Maya steadfastly faced her window, closing her eyes and knowing what she had said had officially set boundaries. She could feel the heat of his glare on her back and knew that he was displeased with her words. But this would be better for their friendship in the long run. And at least this way, she couldn't get left. _

_At last, she heard his footsteps approach, and she stepped away from the window so he'd have room to climb out. She kept her gaze trained diligently on her carpet, afraid of what she would see in his eyes.  
_

_"If that's what you want." He finally replied, icy gaze trained on her. _

_Maya licked her lips nervously, nodding in finality. _

_"That's what I want."_

_"Fine."_

_He turned away from her and climbed out of the window and back into the street. Maya tried to quell the sick feeling growing in her stomach and ignore the pain in her chest when he didn't turn back once._

* * *

Maya needed to figure out a better excuse for her impromptu vomiting sessions and fast, before everyone began to suspect what was really going on. Throughout the week, she'd been able to keep them for the most part at bay, but she avoided the cafeteria entirely and it wouldn't be long before people began to question why. Riley had backed up her stomach bug excuse for the first couple of days, but there was no way that excuse would last if this morning sickness bullshit kept happening every time she caught whiff of food. And it was _killing_ her, not being able to eat in fear of vomiting. Her stomach was aching for food. Something sour or sweet or bitter. Or all three combined...

She was just glad it was Friday already. Because avoiding Lucas had gotten to be tiring as well. He was definitely worried and knew something was up with her, and he _still_ wanted to talk about their little relationship issues. She'd been able to evade conversation in Bio by showing up as soon as the class bell rang, sitting far in the back, and leaving class as soon as it was over before Lucas could even get a word in. And anytime else, Maya was able to get Riley to redirect and change the topic, but she was running out of options. She knew he would eventually try to corner her, and she knew he would succeed. Because Lucas, despite his general unassuming expressions and demure countenance, could be viciously cunning when he wanted to.

At least one good thing was that he had football practice after school every day, so she didn't have to worry about conversing. But clearly, it was getting obvious to other people that there was something wrong with their relationship. Farkle had picked up on the awkward vibes they were giving off, especially during Biology since she wasn't sitting next to Lucas anymore, and had asked Maya if she and Lucas were fighting. She had told him they were fine and that she wanted a seat closer to the door to quickly get to the bathroom in case her stomach bug acted up, but from the raised eyebrow Farkle had given her, she knew he didn't believe a word of that bullshit.

The added stress was only serving to make her more nauseous than ever before, and she took to twisting her hair into buns and wearing ponytails every day to avoid the hassle of cleaning puke out of it. Hopefully, her visit to the doctor would help her with that issue because she didn't know how much more of this she could take.

"You sure you'll be absolutely fine, Maya?" Riley asked, tugging on Maya's sleeve as they walked to the front doors of their school. "I can get in trouble with mom and stay with you anyway."

"It's alright Riley." Maya chuckled softly, "I'm sure everything will be okay..."

And then she tapered off when she saw Billy sitting on the front steps of the school, bobbing his head in time with the music blasting from his headphones while he waited for the bus. Alarms rang immediately in her head.

She tapped his shoulder, "Hey, don't you have football practice today?"

"Oh, practice was canceled for linebackers. Deconditioning day."

"What about the quarterbacks? Does Lucas have practice today?"

"Theirs was canceled too." Maya began to sweat, "Speaking of Lucas, he was looking for you a few minutes ago. He should be walking out any second now."

Her eyes widened. "Riley, I'm out. See you tonight, okay?"

And Maya took off, queasiness in her stomach be damned. She knew she was being entirely immature about this whole ordeal, but she was scared. She didn't want to discuss their relationship, and she wished Lucas would just leave well enough alone. She had enough to deal with as it was, and she didn't have time to focus on his issue right now.

A considerable (and safe) distance from school, Maya finally pulled out the directions Topanga had given her the evening before. The hospital was within walking distance of their school, so it was a real convenience for Maya to walk there. But she kept a vigil out for anyone she could possibly see from school. (And obviously Lucas. He could literally hop out from anywhere). They'd be wondering why she was entering a hospital in the first place, and she didn't want to ignite any possible theories.

Arriving at the hospital, she entered the large building and headed past the lobby's front desk into the nearby elevators to head to the fifth floor.

The ambiance of the obstetrics floor was relaxing, and the waiting room was prudently decorated with obnoxiously saccharine pictures of parents with their infants and mothers lovingly cradling their swollen abdomens. It smelled of chamomile and peppermint, and the walls were painted a soft, carnation pink. A light orchestral piece played in the background, and Maya grew sickly aware of the fact that this was a loving atmosphere with loving mothers and women excited to give birth.

Not knocked up seventeen year olds who didn't even want the kid in the first place.

After signing in with the receptionist and sitting down in the waiting room with the other three women, Maya could feel her confidence rapidly plummeting into the ground. The other women were plump, happy, and serene. Most likely settled, wedding rings on their fingers, and had probably planned for their babies. None of them a silly teenage girl who got knocked up because she hooked up with one of her best friends and was too stupid to be more careful about her protection.

'One of these things is not like the others' from Sesame Street started playing on repeat in her head, and she snatched up a parenting magazine on the coffee table to divert her brain from the self-destructing mockery.

Maya bet they were judging her. All the women were. Even the receptionist was probably wondering why some poor waste of space was coming to the hospital. She kept her gaze firmly planted on the magazine, feeling her fingers shaking slightly, despite trying to force herself to relax. But even the magazine was mocking her stupidity. Every other page she turned to featured some type of birth control available at clinics and hospitals.

What the hell was she doing here?

She was saved from the complete annihilation of her morale when the nurse came out of a door, "Ms. Hart? We're ready for you."

Swallowing her fear, and keeping her eyes firmly away from any of the other people in the room, she picked up her bag and quickly followed the nurse. She was taken through a corridor and past several sterile rooms to a room near the end of the hall. Thankfully, it wasn't super cheerful and decorated with pictures of mothers and babies all over the place. It was tastefully bare save for a sink quipped with amenities, a table with a desktop computer, and the examining table already prepped with paper. Oh, _and_ the blocky white ultrasound monitor and machine.

Maya swallowed tightly and fought the urge to turn around and run. Maybe she should have taken up Riley's offer, because she was _terrified_.

The nurse, apparently named Candy, began a general physical, taking Maya's blood pressure, height, weight, and other important physical things. Through it all, Maya almost forgot that this was not just a regular physical for school, but an actual physical because she was fucking _pregnant._ That dampened her mood right quick. Candy then instructed Maya to sit on the examining table and reassured Maya that she would just be taking a bit of blood just for pregnancy confirmation. Maya did as she was told, allowing her to work unobstructed.

"Ms. Hart? How do you feel?" the nurse asked, once she threw out the used materials and closed the vial of blood. "You're looking a little pale."

"Uh, I'm fine." She quickly responded. She didn't want to deal with questions. She just wanted to get her information and get the fuck out of there.

"When was the last meal you ate?"

"I had some crackers before coming here." Maya lied.

"Okay. You should be fine then." She smiled congenially before pulling out a sheet from one of the table cabinets. "If you could remove your bottoms and cover yourself with the sheet, that would be great, hun. We'll go run these tests, and then I will get the doctor."

And then she left in a cloud of scented lotion, and Maya was left with only her thoughts for company. Maya removed her jeans and rearranged herself on the examination table, the paper crinkling uncomfortably under her bare thighs. The reality of the fact that she was sitting in an obstetrician's office, about to have a damn ultrasound was starting to creep up on her pretty rapidly.

_Look at yourself… A seventeen year old with no plans for your future, no goals, and you're pregnant. Great job. Failure at its finest._

She glanced at the offending machine to her right and could feel her breathing harshen and pulse start to race. This was all very real. She swallowed the lump in her throat and rubbed her face with her hands, trying to calm herself and keep from hyperventilating. Dammit, where was Riley when she needed her? Maya contemplated texting her to come.

Her calamitous thoughts were halted when the door hinges squeaked and Candy and a young doctor walked in, a bright, calming smile on her lips. She had disheveled brown locks tied haphazardly in a ponytail at the nape of her neck and these huge, goofy-looking round glasses on her face. Any other day, Maya might have laughed. But this was not such a day.

"Maya Hart? I'm Dr. Melanie Torres. I'll be your OB for the duration of your pregnancy." Maya shook her hand, hoping Dr. Torres couldn't feel her racing pulse through her fingertips. "Topanga notified me of your situation, so you don't have to worry about anything. I'll take good care of you, okay?"

"Uh… thank you, Dr. Torres."

"Fell free to call me Melanie." She smiled and then addressed the clipboard she had been carrying, "Now then. From your blood test, your heightened hCG and progesterone levels are looking just about right. You are indeed pregnant, Maya."

"Oh…" She said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Whatever little hope she had been holding on to that perhaps this pregnancy was a figment of her imagination flew right out the window when the doctor confirmed her condition. The reality of the whole situation was banging on her door, and Maya felt like she couldn't avoid it much longer.

"Your iron levels are a little low, but nothing to worry over at this point. However, your blood glucose level was alarmingly low, Maya. I take it you haven't been eating because of morning sickness?"

"Yeah." She said, a faint blush rising on her cheeks, "It's been kind of bad."

"I'm sorry you've been experiencing discomfort. I'll give you some multivitamins that can help with sickness. How does that sound?"

"That sounds good." Maya said appreciatively.

"But otherwise, you need to make sure you are eating often. Your baby requires nutrients to survive through a successful full term. And _you_ need nutrients so you can continue through your daily activities without feeling faint. Part of your nausea and faint feelings can be attributed to the fact that your glucose levels need to be restored."

"I understand."

"Have you been drinking plenty of water or fluids?"

"I…" Maya hung her head, a little ashamed and embarrassed. She felt entirely stupid. An idiotic seventeen year old who got knocked up and was doing _everything_ wrong. "Not really."

"Maya, it's okay. Don't feel bad. Remember I'm here to make your pregnancy as comfortable as possible for you. You can tell me everything you've been going through." Dr. Torres chuckled, "As for the water, your body is probably very dehydrated from all the vomiting, so please make sure you are replenishing as frequently as possible."

Maya nodded silently, wringing her hands together nervously.

"Other than that, you're quite healthy. Everything on your end seems fine. So now let's check on the baby's end." Dr. Torres set the clipboard on the table, and turned to the sink, washing her hands meticulously, "When did you start experiencing your morning sickness?"

"Last weekend about?"

"Okay." Dr. Torres pulled on a pair of rubber gloves, "So I'm going to hazard a guess that you are five to ten weeks in. If you were further along in your pregnancy, we would do an abdominal ultrasound, but since you're fairly early in, we'll be doing a transvaginal ultrasound."

Maya must have made a face of some sort because Dr. Torres laughed and shook her head.

"Don't worry. It's nothing terrible. You won't feel any discomfort. It's just a more efficient way to observe the baby since it will most likely be very small and difficult to detect." She pointed in a diagonal direction from the door, "There is a restroom further down this hall to the right. We will need your bladder emptied for this procedure, so if you could please use the restroom, that would be great. In the meantime, Candy and I will prepare the test."

Maya nodded numbly and did as she was told, leaving the room and going to take care of her bladder. In the bathroom, she contemplated running off and pretending this experience never happened. All the information she was being given was only increasing the tight feeling in her chest that she'd been trying to fight away since she came into the hospital. The feeling increased tenfold when she entered the room once again and saw that Candy and Dr. Torres had set up everything, and they were waiting patiently for her.

"Alright Maya. If you could remove your undergarment and lay back on the examination table, we'll get started. "

The whole process, though awkward for Maya was quick and painless. Dr. Torres was great about talking her through everything they were doing and alleviating her nerves. She kept Maya updated about each step of the process, and what each step did. While Dr. Torres continued the procedure, Candy kept Maya's attention occupied by asking her questions about her hobbies and favourite music and what she was studying in school. Having the distractions proved very useful, and Maya was grateful for them, because she didn't feel a thing, even when the probe was finally inserted.

"When was the date of your last period, Maya?"

"September 2nd…"

"Alright, then conception was most likely–"

"I meant September 2nd is the conception date." Maya clarified, cheeks burning red.

_The night of the first football game of the season…_

"Oh I see." Dr. Torres tapped on the keyboard of the ultrasound, clicking a few buttons as she activated the image, "That's perfect, Maya. So your expected due date will be around late May, the 25th or 26th to be specific."

_So right before graduation… If I even make it there._

"Alright, Maya. You're about six weeks in. Everything looks good. You have a successful intra-uterine implantation." She turned to Maya with a smile, "Let me introduce you to your baby."

Maya turned her head and faced the screen. It had become a grayscale mess of random black and white lines, almost like an abstract painting. Maya frowned. That didn't look like any baby to her.

"Where's the baby?"

Dr. Torres chuckled softly, gesturing to the whole thing, "This is your uterus Maya." She pointed to the small black cavern that looked like a huge hole, "This is the gestation sac of your baby." Then she pointed to a white bubble looking blob in the sac, "This is your baby's yolk sac, so it can feed." And then she pointed underneath the yolk sac, "And _this_ is your baby, Maya. It's about a quarter to half an inch as of now. This is the crown and this tail like thing is the rump."

Maya stared at it, inspecting it carefully. She was surprised and more than a little bit shocked at how vivid it was. It was just right _there_. And _small_. It looked like… a _jellybean_.

"Holy shit! It looks like a jellybean!" Maya exclaimed, letting out a little breathless laugh.

Candy giggled, "It does, doesn't it?"

"That it does." Dr. Torres chuckled. "You want to see something interesting?"

"Uh, sure… Whatever." Maya cleared her throat and sobered up, calming her excitement down in slight embarrassment at her overreaction.

Dr. Torres rotated the image so that the fetus could be seen more clearly. A tiny, rapid flickering appeared on the screen. She amplified the area and pulled up a graph.

"You see that flickering?"

Maya nodded, trying to play it cool.

"It's a little low, 91 bpm, but nothing to be too concerned over because it increases by the day," Dr. Torres smiled, "But that? That's your baby's heartbeat, Maya."

And Maya's breath caught in her chest. She froze, enraptured by the rapid, insistent flickering on the screen. Her shaking hand went to her mouth in shock.

It was alive. And its heart was beating.

And suddenly, it hit her all at once.

There was a human being—an actual _living_ human being_—_growing inside of her.

_You can't give this baby away…_

Maya didn't even realize tears had been trailing down her cheeks until Candy cooed softly and took her hand to comfort her. She started crying harder, her whole body wracked with sobs and shudders and shoulders shaking heavily. She let out a breathless, elated, tear filled laughed as she watched the heartbeat. It was unbelievable.

How was it that her jellybean, without doing anything, had managed to give her so much grief this week, but also make her happier than she'd ever been before?

"I'm sorry…" Maya wailed, blubbering uncontrollably to the screen, "I'm sorry for calling you a tumor and a thing. I'm sorry for not eating. I'm sorry for being in denial and trying to pretend you didn't exist. I promise I'll be a better mother to you. I promise I'll take care of you."

Dr. Torres and Candy glanced at each other, smiling serenely.

_You're my little Jellybean… Now and forever…_

When Maya finally left Dr. Torres' office after receiving some prenatal vitamins to start out with and some brochures and documents with information on how to survive her first pregnancy, Maya knew she was in trouble. Jellybean had grown on her in a span of ten minutes, and there was no way she wanted to give it up now. Maya knew without a doubt that she wanted to raise her baby no matter what.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Two warnings for future chapters of this story since I never clarified at the beginning.  
**

**1) This story is High T.**

**2) This is a drama. I cannot stress this enough, because I don't hold back, so prepare yourself in the future.**

**Alright! Enjoy this little chapter because after this, the fun _really _starts.**

**Shout out to the reviews! Definitely much appreciated! I love you all :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own GMW, but Lucaya is bae.**

* * *

Maya walked down the sidewalk, staring at the photo of Jellybean with a sort of bounce in her step. The sun was shining bright in the sky, cascading its gorgeous rays of sunlight despite it being mid October. She had prenatal vitamins in her bag, a little pamphlet that explained details of what was happening to her body in her pocket, and her stomach felt fine.

This was the first time since she found out that she was pregnant that things finally felt like they were working out for the best. She was in a _great_ mood. Not even that biker that had almost mowed her down could damper her spirits. Maya's attitude could even rival that of her happy-go-lucky best friend's. Maybe she'd grab some ice cream to commemorate this experience. No. She _would_ grab ice cream. Ice cream sounded great.

It was almost like, it was the first day of a brand new her. The beginning of something beautiful in life. And Maya was ready to take it by its horns! Life could throw whatever crap it wanted at her. She was ready.

"Maya?"

_Shit. I take it back! I take it back. Life, please don't be a bitch!_

Maya stuffed the picture of the ultrasound deep in her pocket and smiled, trying to feign a bright and cheerful attitude to mask the way her face had fallen. Lucas was leaning languidly against the crosswalk pole, a convenience store bag in his hand.

"Oh, hey… Didn't see you there."

"Did you just come from Riley's?"

She frowned in confusion, "No. I'm on my way there right now."

He looked confused as well, "Then where did you come from?"

Shit. Maya had forgotten that she didn't live anywhere near Riley's neighbourhood or the hospital and therefore, it wouldn't make sense to find her walking down this sidewalk in the least.

"That's none of your business." Maya said, unable to think of a quick enough excuse. "Well, I've got to head on to Riley's so…"

"Maya wait." Lucas said, straightening up and walking over to her with a look of exasperation, "Look, I know you've been avoiding me."

She snorted, though she could feel herself starting to sweat, "Don't be ridiculous."

His eyes narrowed in annoyance, "You know as well as I do that you've been avoiding me since we slept together. Do you think I'm stupid?"

She took in a sharp breath at his blunt words and stammered, "I-I…"

"You're the one who said to pretend like nothing happened, and I've been trying, but every single time I approach you, you run off. We don't even hang out anymore. So what's your damage?"

"Okay. Look. I was just really busy." Maya lied breezily, "I have a little bit of time right now. Why don't we catch up and get some ice cream or something?"

Truthfully, they were across the street from a great place, and Maya couldn't lie that she had ulterior motives. She just really wanted some ice cream. _Badly_. And she hoped that if she pacified his irritation, he would leave well enough alone and eventually forget about his questions.

"Uh." Lucas's eyebrows were a little raised, and he looked surprised by her proposal. "Okay?"

"Yeah. And then we can chill in the park nearby. It's not going to stay warm forever." She said somewhat cheerfully, beginning to cross the street when it was safe. "You're buying, by the way."

Lucas stared at her in confusion, completely floored by how quickly she had gone from sour to almost _bubbly_. He shook his head and followed her across the street. Was she skipping?

Maya yanked open the door to the ice cream store and nearly melted into the floor in bliss. It smelled _heavenly_. The aroma of caramel and milk chocolate and waffle cone and just overall ice cream scent was exciting her. Her stomach grumbled imperceivably, and she patted her abdomen placatingly.

_Guess what Jellybean? You're about to have some damn good ice cream for the first time._

Thankfully the line wasn't very long, so Maya told Lucas what she wanted—double scoop of Rocky Road and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, extra caramel; Pistachio Chocolate Chip for him—and pushed him to get it quickly. It didn't take too long to get the ice cream, and as Lucas brought it over, she felt a slight twinge of guilt. He was completely clueless, but only because she was keeping it from him. Topanga was right. He deserved to know since he _was_ the father. But first...

Maya eagerly picked up a spoonful and popped it in her mouth, moaning in happiness at the gooey caramel goodness and sweetness of the vanilla ice cream and chocolate chips.

"This fucking rocks…" she moaned again, talking around a mouthful of ice cream.

Lucas watched her with barely concealed amusement, "You really look like you're enjoying that."

She nodded in complete mental bliss, "Let's go."

As they left, she tilted her head and smiled happily up at Lucas. He returned it with an easygoing one of his own. For a second, she didn't feel nervous around him, and it felt like they had recovered a semblance of their prior friendship. (Except for maybe the fact that she had the unmistakable urge to slide her hand into his and lace their fingers together).

It felt that way, at least, until they walked a little way down the street and two annoying tittering girls caught sight of them—or rather, of Lucas—and walked over. Maya recognized the two as underclassmen at their school. And the presidents of the Lucas Friar fan club.

"Hey Lucas," One of the girls with caked on makeup giggled, "Fancy running into you here!"

"Great job at the last football game!" the other gushed, "You're like, the greatest quarterback ever."

"Thanks, that means a lot." he said genuinely. "I still have a long way to go, though."

"Are you serious?" Cake-face exclaimed, slapping him lightly. Maya wanted to barf, "You're incredible."

Maya scoffed under her breath and turned away from the conversation in annoyance. How disrespectful could those girls get, flirting with him right in front of her face like that?

Maya froze mid spoonful.

What the hell was she talking about…

She was acting like a nut. Or some possessive girlfriend, and she and Lucas weren't even together. Of course they were flirting with him. Lucas Friar was quarterback of their football team, a straight A student, charming, and very, very _undeniably_ attractive. Maya knew he was a catch. It wasn't uncommon for particularly fearless and confident students to want to try and snag him. Or fuck him. Either one she supposed. Getting to say they hooked up with or were dating the star of their school was bound to boost them high on the popularity chain.

"I take it you guys have made up. So are you two dating or something?" One of them asked offhandedly, but clearly trying to check the status of his availability. "There's some rumours circulating at school that you two are together and had a fight."

"Maya and I aren't dating." Lucas responded easily, "She's just my best friend."

Maya felt her mood sour further. Of course they weren't dating… Why would he think so? After all, she's the one who had put a stop to anything that might and could have been. He'd done exactly what she asked, so why was she getting so pissed now when it was _her_ fault? She knew her irritation was completely unreasonable and irrational, but it still stung to hear him clearly define the fact that they were no longer associated in any way aside from their friendship.

The conversation finally ended when the girls went on their way, and Lucas turned to Maya. She was sporting a rather stormy expression on her face.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing…" Maya grunted, "Let's just go to the damn park."

Confused by her sudden change in behaviour, he followed her as she stormed down the sidewalk and to the public park about a block away. Maya paid no mind to his confusion and walked to a free bench, plopping onto it ungracefully and eating a few more spoonfuls angrily. She wanted to be sitting on her couch right now, curled up in a blanket and ranting to Riley. Lucas came up to the bench and sat down tentatively next to her, wincing when he saw her expression.

"…Are you mad at me?"

"Not really." She said, looking away from his imploring gaze. "It has nothing to do with you."

"Maya, you're pissed off and avoiding me _again_. And I don't know what else could have been the problem, so I'm assuming it's me. Can you just tell me what I did?" He growled in irritation, "I mean one second you're happy, the next you're acting scared, and then you're mad as hell. What is going on with you?"

"Lucas…"

"Are we even okay anymore? If this is how we're going to be from now on, we should never have slept with each other."

Maya's breath hitched when he said the exact words she had hoped _he_ would never say. Her stomach felt like it had dropped to her feet. She swallowed hard, forcing herself not to let those tears crawl into her vision. The last thing she wanted to do was cry in front of Lucas. Especially when he was being a complete dick.

"What the hell, you asshole?" She spat coldly, glaring at him with fire in her eyes. "How could you say that?"

"Shit, Maya…" He let out a deep sigh, turning to face her directly and running a hand through his hair. "I didn't mean that. I'm sorry. It's just… It's frustrating! I want to make our relationship work, but you're making it hard to maintain our friendship at all. You've been avoiding me for longer than a month. So excuse me for thinking there's something you're hiding from me."

He was right. The longer she kept this up, the worse their friendship became. Maybe it was time to tell him.

"Lucas, there's something I have to tell you." She closed her eyes. "The truth is… I'm… I-I…"

_Pregnant! Knocked up! Have a bun in my oven! Swallowed a watermelon! C'mon Maya! For fuck's sake, say _something_!_

But the words died in her throat when she met his gaze as he watched her anxiously, sea foam eyes alight in genuine concern. She lost her nerve before she could even muster up the courage to tell him. Why couldn't she just get this shit out of her system?!

"I… just thought you didn't want anything to do with me anymore… You probably thought I was a terrible person after that night. You probably hated me."

He released a breath of relief and gave Maya a look of fond exasperation. "Maya I didn't think you were a terrible person. Sure, I was a little mad for a while, but I got over it. I could never hate you. We're friends, aren't we?"

"Barely, Sundance." She quipped, finishing off her ice cream and tossing it in a nearby garbage can. At least she'd dodged that damn bullet, but now she'd missed yet another opportunity to tell him what was going on with her. She needed to get her shit together.

"There's the Maya I know and love." He said with a smirk.

Maya knew he didn't mean it in that way, but she couldn't help the elation that went through her entire body. She wondered if he even realized he had indirectly said that he loved her.

_Maya chill… Even if he knew he realized he said that, it wouldn't mean anything._

She eyed his ice cream hungrily, still not satisfied with what she had just finished. She was starving. Not even hungry for real food. She just wanted some nuts. And chocolate chips. Which he had in his ice cream.

"Are you gonna finish that?" She pointed to the cup in his hand, licking her lips.

He raised a brow, a little nervous from the intensity of her gaze on his ice cream, "I was planning to. But, uh, you look like you really want it."

"I do." She confirmed, "Give it here, Huckleberry."

He gave her his ice cream, and she took happy bites out of it, happily sighing at the relief she felt from it. Yup. Ice cream was definitely her best friend. She made a mental note to remember to buy jugs of it to keep in the Matthews fridge for future visits. But the ice cream was kind of lacking something in it. Something like honey mustard or ketchup. Or both.

"Ice cream and honey mustard and ketchup?" Lucas asked incredulously, a horrified look on his face.

Maya froze when she realized she had said that _out loud_.

"Wow. That sounds like the kind of thing a pregnant woman would eat." he looked amused.

_Oh shit…_

Her stomach reeled, and she felt that tickle in the back of her throat that usually warned her that she was on the cusp of tossing her cookies once again. Maya took in a sharp breath and stood up abruptly, dumping the empty cup in the trash can.

"I have to go."

"Not this again." Lucas groaned, hopping to his feet. "I'm sorry. Was it something I said?"

"No…" she grimaced, trying to walk around him. She needed to find somewhere and fast. "I just… have to go."

"Dammit Maya!" Lucas stopped her, catching her wrist and pulling her back around before she could run off. The jolt in her motion only served to increase the nausea, and she fought the urge to gag with every ounce of her body. "Stop. Running. Away. Look, if there's something you need to get off your chest, you can talk to me. How can I help you?"

The last time she'd been about to vomit, Lucas' scent had fixed that mess up right quick. Struggling to hold it in, she walked right into his open arms and wrapped her arms around his torso, closing her eyes and just taking slow, deep breaths. She felt his breathing falter, no doubt in surprise. Maya Hart was not a hugger, unless you were Riley. She let herself relax and calm down with the steady beats of his heart and his fresh, clean scent.

"You smell like aftershave…" she mumbled happily into his chest.

"Maya?" He sounded completely and utterly bewildered.

"I'm just… going through some stuff."

"Do you want to talk about it?" he said at last, resting his chin on her head and his arms around her back.

"Not yet. But definitely one day..."

"Okay."

Maya sighed softly and tightened her hold on him. She wished things could stay like this forever, but eventually, she knew she would have to drop the baby bomb. She only hoped she and Lucas could survive a friendship after that.

_Lucas… I've decided to keep Jellybean to raise._ _Would you want anything to do with us if you found out?_


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: To the Guest who was tired of waiting and wanted Maya to tell Lucas already: Be patient, my dear. Good things come to those who wait ;)  
**

**The layout of this chapter was a little rough, but bear with me please. Transitions are not my strongest suit.**

**Thank you for all the reviews and encouraging words! They are the best kind of motivation ever! :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own GMW, but Lucaya is bae.**

* * *

Maya sincerely hoped her mom could not hear her retching from the kitchen. She was collapsed on the bathroom floor, clutching the toilet bowl as if her life depended on it. If her mother were to randomly open the door, she would have no doubts that Maya was pregnant.

"Damn…" she grumbled, throat raw and stinging. "Bean, you're killing me."

The last time she'd gone for another check-up, about a week ago, Dr. Torres had told her that the intensity of morning sickness per pregnancy varied greatly, and that she would most likely be experiencing it for a while since she was early in. It sucked. She was almost ten weeks into her damn pregnancy. Maya just wanted this whole vomit at the slightest disruption thing to stop. She had been eating more, but all this puking couldn't be good for her. Or Jellybean.

But on another note, she had heard Jellybean's heartbeat for the first time, and it had sounded like a pack of galloping horses. She knew Lucas would have loved the comparison… But alas, he still was unaware of her pregnancy. She had tried to let him know several times, but the timing was always off, she would lose her nerve, or she was interrupted before she could find the courage to start speaking. She suspected Lucas was starting to think there was something wrong with her again, but if he did, he hadn't said a word yet and for that she was grateful.

She stayed on the floor for a few more seconds, riding out the wave of another bout of nausea. She practiced those meditation recommendations Candy had given her, thinking about scents and people who calmed her down.

_Riley's laugh, Riley's goofy grin, Riley dropping her toothbrush in the toilet, Riley shouting at the toilet, Riley kicking the toilet, Riley holding her foot… Lucas' aftershave..._

The nausea hurricane passed.

Sighing and finally feeling better, she flushed down the puke and cleaned herself up in the shower to get ready for another somewhat irritating, but no longer agonizing day of school.

Once showered, she went back to her room and threw on the first clothes she could find on the floor. Her pants were a little loose, and Maya observed herself in her mirror. She had definitely lost weight. And it was probably from all of that puking. She'd probably never fit perfectly in her pants again. After that, it would be weight gain after weight gain after weight gain. By around Christmas time, she'd be in her second trimester, and she would definitely put on a lot more weight.

_Guess I'll be putting maternity clothes and leggings on my list to Santa._

Curiously, she snatched a pillow off of her bed and tucked it under the front of her tee. She walked around, bouncing up and down and rubbing her abdomen, testing what it was like to hold a baby. She'd be there in several months. Why not try it out now? She looked like she had a lumpy balloon under her shirt and snorted.

It was odd seeing herself so rotund and bloated like a balloon, but strangely, she kind of _liked_ it. It brought out something very _maternal_ in her.

Maya could just imagine herself as young married woman, expecting the birth of her Jellybean with her husband. And then she cut her train of thought quickly because she realized she had been seconds from imagining Lucas as the husband. It was ridiculous. Her and Lucas? He would never marry her. He was meant for great things, and she was _Maya_…

Katy rapped twice on her room door with her knuckles, "Maya? You almost ready for school?"

"Uh, yeah. Just a sec!"

She scrambled to pull the pillow out and tossed it in a random corner just as her mother opened the door. Maya pretended to search for something on the ground, tucking some loose hair behind her right ear nervously.

"Can't find my sketchbook." Maya muttered under her breath, pretending to be preoccupied.

"You mean the one on your desk?"

"Right…" Maya licked her lips nervously, before picking it up off of her desk and waving it around with a tight smile, "On my desk…"

"Have you lost weight, Maya?" Katy asked worriedly.

Maya spun around and rummaged in her bag for something long after she put the notebook inside so that her mother couldn't see the flustered expression on her face. Katy could smell lies a mile away, especially when she could see Maya's face.

"Umm no, I don't think so." Maya tugged on her jacket and a scarf. The cold front had officially been forecasted by the weatherman. Soon she'd be able to use the weather as her excuse for bundling up all the time which would definitely come in handy when she started to show. "Probably just a trick of the light."

"Okay." Katy walked in the room, "Well, I was just wondering if you thought about what we talked about."

Maya frowned in confusion.

Katy sighed, a little annoyed, "About college, Maya. Have you thought about where you're going to apply? Now's the time to start thinking. Those applications will be due in January."

"I mean, honestly, I'm not really sure I _want_ to go, Mom." _Especially if I have to take care of Jellybean_.

Katy frowned, "Absolutely not, Maya. College is important. There is nothing you can't do if you have a degree."

Maya rolled her eyes, knowing exactly the speech her mother was about to give her. If she'd heard it once, she'd heard it a million times.

"I never had the chance to go to college, Maya. And look where I am now. I work unbelievable and countless hours and the payoff is terrible. I barely got the chance to see you grow into the young lady you are today. You wouldn't want the same for your future child, would you?"

_Oh if only she knew…_

Maya swallowed thickly, and picked up her bag off of the floor, a little uneasy at Katy's mention of a future child.

"Mom. I get it. You want me to have my best shot in life, but college isn't really something that seems realistic to me. I don't even know what I'd want to do after it."

"As long as you have that diploma and your Bachelor's, that's what counts." Katy pressed, "There are some brochures we got in the mail. I'll leave them on your desk, and you can take a look at them after school, okay?"

"Fine Mom. I'll take a look at it." Maya finally relented, only because she wanted to get the hell out of there. She was tired of having this discussion with her mother. Before, she might have contemplated the idea. But now, college really wasn't feasible if she would be raising Jellybean. "I've gotta go. Riley's waiting for me."

Katy smiled serenely, tucking that stray lock of Maya's hair behind her ear. "Oh honey. I'm so proud of you. You've been diligent all these years, despite not having someone to take care of you. You kept persevering in school and now look. You're going to graduate high school."

Maya laughed nervously, a nervous sweat building up.

"I never finished high school, so I'm glad you're taking those steps to do what your mother could not."

"Alright Mom." She said, ducking out from her reach with a lopsided smile that she was positive was more of a grimace, "I've gotta go. By the way, I'm eating at Riley's for dinner, so don't wait up if I'm late."

"Think about what I said about college Maya. We can discuss it when you get home." Katy called out as Maya grabbed a couple slices of toast and hightailed it out of the house. She was a little peeved she didn't have a chance to put ketchup on them. "Remember! I'm proud of you, baby girl!"

_Proud of me? Would you still be proud of me if you found out that I'm pregnant?_

Maya felt guilty that she hadn't told her mother about the baby, but she was scared of how her mom would react. That particular conversation would have to be thoughtfully planned out and carefully executed if she even considered telling her mother. Maybe Maya could find some way to live at the Matthews during her last trimester and just show up at home one random day after the kid was born. 'Oh hey Mom. Look, I had a kid.' Her mother would definitely have a field day with that one.

Maya snorted and shook her head at the mental image, racing to get to the subway station before she missed her ride. She'd get her ketchup at Riley's.

~.~.~

"Well, well. Look who's Mr. Popular." Maya snickered quietly when one of their classmates turned around in her seat and winked at Lucas. This was the millionth person she had seen do something flirtatious to Lucas that day. It bugged her. Was every girl on the prowl today or something?

Lucas groaned, ducking his head further down, "It's not that. To get Homecoming game attendance up on Saturday, coach told everyone that their ticket would be drawn in a raffle to win a free date with me if they went."

Maya had to bite her lip to keep from bursting out laughing, and Lucas pinched her side in payback. She yelped quietly and scootched her chair over, giggling and putting more space between them.

"You're supposed to be supportive."

"Says who, Ranger Rick?" Maya grinned, "I think this is funny."

"You know what else is funny? Riley entered _your_ name under her ticket."

Maya frowned and shot Riley a warning glare over her shoulder. Riley shrugged sheepishly, batting her eyelashes sweetly at Maya.

"You know I'll run your wallet dry on the date."

"That's assuming you even win in the first place." Lucas replied without missing a beat, his shit eating grin firmly set in place, "Already planning our dates, ma'am?"

"In your wet dreams, Heehaw."

"Could you guys get a room?" Farkle hissed from behind them, "And shush. Some of us are trying to learn."

Riley rolled her eyes, "I agree. You both need to be quiet."

"Is there a problem, Ms. Matthews?" the Biology teacher, Mr. Weatherly, droned, back still facing the students.

"Not at all, sir." she chirped, cheeks blushing red in embarrassment. "Sorry."

He continued his lecture, and Maya turned around and glanced at Riley, "How the hell does he do that?"

"Beats me…"

"Alright class," he continued, opening a new set of PowerPoint slides on the projector. "That ends our chapter on cell signals and transduction. We'll be starting our chapter on reproduction and development now."

Interest peaked, Maya spun around and faced the front, her eyebrows rising. This seemed like a pretty cool chapter. Don't get her wrong. She hated biology with a passion, and she didn't know why she had let Riley talk her into taking the damn class with all of them, but she supposed with her being pregnant and all, it could be good to learn what was happening with her body. And then she wouldn't have to ask so many questions when she visited Dr. Torres.

"Lucas, do you have an extra pen?" she asked, flipping open the notebook she hadn't touched since the first day of classes. "I want to take some notes."

Lucas's brows went up in shock, and he turned over his shoulder, "Guys, I think that's the first time I've ever seen Maya take any notes in this class. Why this chapter?"

"Th-that's because she's serious about college!" Riley panicked and piped up awkwardly.

"You've made up your mind Maya?" Lucas asked in surprise. "You're going to college?"

Maya sighed lowly, giving Riley an annoyed raised brow for the lie. She had warned Riley about freaking out over anything that remotely had to do with babies, pregnancy, or children. She always overreacted and then to compensate, she would say something that made the situation totally worse. Riley mouthed an apology, and Maya knew she couldn't stay mad at her for very long.

"Where are you applying?" Farkle asked, giving up on getting any notes in with his friends talking so much. Besides, the new revelation was way more interesting than the monotonous drawl of their teacher.

"Riley lied. I haven't figured that out yet." Maya corrected, "I'm still iffy about college. I've got too much to worry about right now for that." _I'm having a kid. There is no way in hell I'm going to college now._

"That's too bad." Lucas said quietly, unconsciously playing with a lock of her hair, "I thought it could be fun with all of us there, chilling and hanging out."

"Isn't Farkle trying to go Ivy?" Maya said dejectedly, resting her chin in her palm. "Besides, with these grades and my scores, I wouldn't even be able to get in the same school as you all."

"Don't discredit yourself Maya. I think you could."

Maya met his eyes and smiled, a pale blush dotting her cheeks. It meant a lot to her that he believed in her.

"Well thank you, Sundance."

"Get a room…" Farkle said again, making a gagging motion with his finger.

"I agree." Riley added. "You're making us uncomfortable."

"Ms. Matthews! Do you need to leave this classroom?" Mr. Weatherly scolded, turning around and pinning Riley with a glare. Lucas and Maya quickly spun around and faced the front, feigning diligent note taking and stifling their snickers by biting their lips.

"No, sir." Riley squeaked, sliding further down in her chair, "I'm sorry, sir."

"Then you would do well to keep your mouth shut for the remainder of this class."

He went back to his teaching, and Lucas and Maya's shoulders shook from concealed laughter. Riley threw cap erasers at both of their backs, huffing indignantly. Farkle shook his head, clearly exasperated with his friends' inabilities to not talk in class.

"Hey," Lucas nudged Maya after a few moments of silent note taking, "Are you going to Homecoming dance on Friday?"

She eyed him from the side, before looking back towards the front. Honestly, she wasn't in the mood to party it up with a bunch of idiots. Plus every year, some senior would spike the punch towards the middle, and since there wasn't anything else to drink at this event, Maya didn't want to spend her evening thirsty.

"I don't think so."

"Why not? It's senior year. You gotta live it up. This is our last Homecoming." He grinned boyishly, "And I'm in the court."

"Not interested. I'd have to find a dress and buy some shoes, get my hair and makeup done." She groaned under her breath, "Find a damn date."

"Well at least you can check one thing off your list."

"Huh?" she looked at him in confusion. What the hell was he talking about?

He smiled, "I'll be your date."

Her heart skipped a beat, "Of all the willing girls you could ask, you want to go with me?"

"Yeah. Is that so weird?"

Yes. Yes it was.

"Why me?"

A pale blush coloured his cheeks, and he momentarily hesitated, "...Because I like hanging out with you. And we're friends."

She tried not to feel disappointment when his words weren't what she had hoped for.

"And it's convenient. I'm giving Farkle and his date a ride to the dance. And I'm giving Riley a ride back since Mr. Matthews doesn't trust her date to bring her home safely. You might as well be there too."

She nodded, "Alright. I'll go with you. But if you show up wearing a cowboy hat, I'm turning right back around and leaving your ass outside in the cold."

"Sounds about right."

Maya snorted, and they went back to paying attention in class. Her lips curled up happily and she couldn't help the feeling of joy bubbling up in her chest.

~.~.~

"Dinner was great. Thank you." Maya stretched in satisfaction. "I guess I should head home now."

Cory gave her a look that was a mixture between complete awe and extreme disbelief. "You had like ten servings Maya… _with _ketchup and honey mustard."

"Dad! That's rude." Riley chastised, standing up with Maya.

"She ate all of the macaroni too…" Auggie grumbled under his breath, displeasure evident on his face.

Riley scowled at her younger brother, "If Maya wants to eat, she's allowed to eat. Don't you both have any manners? She's a guest."

"It's okay Riles." Maya said, laughing it off. He hadn't been wrong. She'd been pretty hungry. And dinner definitely had filled her up after the meager lunch she'd eaten. Her stomach had been grumbling all throughout the school day. She was satisfied for now. Though something fried and greasy sounded really good for later if she were to be completely honest…

She picked up the bottle of ketchup from the table, "Mind if I take this to go?"

Cory frowned in confusion, "You ate all the food and now you want the ketchup too?"

"Thank you for joining us for dinner tonight Maya." Topanga replied after giving Cory a disapproving glare. He cowered in apology, "Be careful getting home, okay sweetie?"

I'll walk you downstairs Maya." Riley said, grabbing her shawl off the couch.

Maya slipped on her jacket, grabbed her school bag and followed Riley out the door. They walked down the apartment complex's steps to the first floor.

When they finally got to the lobby, Riley slipped Maya a ten.

"What's this for?" Maya asked suspiciously, though she pocketed the cash. Free money was free money.

"You're probably going to crave something nasty and fried later tonight." Riley smiled, "And I know you don't have any cash on you."

"Riley, have I ever told you how much I love you?"

"Only every day." She grinned widely.

Then she took Maya's hands and contemplated at her seriously.

"Maya, no matter what happens, you know I will always support you, right?"

"Yeah?" Maya nodded slowly, confused as to why she was saying that. That basically went without saying. "What brought this on?"

"I've got your back no matter what happens, you know." Riley continued.

"I know, Riley." Maya rolled her eyes, "Stop beating around the bush."

"I say this with all the love and respect I have for you—which is a lot!" Riley's expression sobered, "But you need to tell Lucas, okay? It's been weeks since you said you would."

Maya sucked in a breath, a little put off by Riley's blunt reminder.

"I'm not ready yet." She said tightly.

"When will you be, Maya? Every time I bring it up, you say you'll talk to him. But then it never happens."

"I will. Eventually. I promise."

"No. Not eventually. As soon as possible. He deserves to know that he's fathering a child." Riley urged, "I'm saying this because I care about you Maya, but you're being stupid about telling him. Do you really think Lucas is the type of guy who would push you away if he found out about Jellybean?"

"I know he's not, it's just–"

"That you're scared. I know." Riley said reassuringly, "But remember this is _Lucas_ we're talking about. Has he ever given you a reason to be scared of him? Maybe he'll be mad that you waited so long to tell him, but he'll understand. You just have to talk to him."

Maya frowned, but couldn't respond. Sometimes it sucked that Riley could read her mind...

"Just tell him. If you need me there too, I'll be there."

"I'll… Just… give me time, okay?" Maya said, squeezing Riley's hand to confirm that she would tell him. "I need to prepare myself."

"Alright Maya." She gave her a warm hug before grabbing her shoulders. "You better not break this promise."

"Go home, Riley." Maya laughed.

Riley smiled and then spun around, climbing back up those steps to get to her apartment.

Maya watched her for a few seconds before turning on her heel and exiting the building. Maya shivered as a burst of cold air suddenly smacked her in the face. It was amazing how quickly the weather had suddenly changed.

Jamming her hands in her pockets to keep them warm, she walked down the sidewalk, heading toward the subway station. Maya knew what was holding her back from telling Lucas. She knew he wouldn't reject her—it wasn't in his nature—but she didn't want to tie him down. Lucas was raised to be a gentleman. She had no doubt he would take responsibility, but that didn't mean he couldn't eventually grow to resent her for taking away his freedom. And that scared her more than anything.

_What do you think, Beanie? Is it time I introduced your father to you?_

A slight wave of nausea went through her, and Maya chuckled to herself, wondering if that had been her baby's way of letting her know she had the Jellybean Seal of Approval.

But regardless, Riley was right. She had to tell him.

Maya decided she would let Lucas know the truth on Saturday after the game. At least that way, he'd be able to focus on playing.

She rode the subway to her station and got off feeling, for the first time in a while, that things were truly going to be okay. Sure, she was a seventeen year old who had accidentally gotten pregnant and now had to hide the fact that she was baking a baby in her uterus oven from pretty much everyone she knew, but in spite of all that, her life was _completely_ in control. Her relationship with Lucas had survived their little one-night stand, Jellybean was super healthy and growing at a lively rate, and Maya's pieces for the Studio Art art show next semester were coming along very nicely. All she had to do was gain inspiration for one more perfect freestyle piece, and she'd be just about done with her requirement for this semester's pieces.

Yes, indeed.

Life was looking great right now.

Maya got to the front door of their apartment and frowned when she noticed a suitcase with shoes on top resting against the door on their welcome mat.

_Her_ suitcase.

"What the hell…"

With a frown, Maya pushed the door open.

Katy was standing with her arms crossed in the doorway, expression livid and eyes shining in uninhibited fury. Her frigid, disgusted glare pierced Maya to the core, and she felt her mouth go dry.

_No…_

Dangling from her hand was the ultrasound photograph of a six week old Jellybean.

_No!_

"You have ten seconds to explain to me why the hell this was in your room."


	6. Chapter 6

**You guys are going to hate me (Or love me? Hopefully the latter?) ^_^;  
**

**There's some cheese in this chapter... A bit of Brie... maybe some Limburger, but I'm sure you'll be able to get through it without retching ;)**

**A/N: There are still major problems with this chapter. But it was starting to make my eyes hurt so I gave up for the night. I'll be revising later this week. Sorry about poor quality.  
**

**Guys I really appreciate all the love and reviews! I've been stressed lately and getting you guys' reviews really helps me calm down and chill and focus on the good and not the rage inducing! :)**

**UPDATE 05.18.15: Revised most of the chapter lol and then I gave up. Enjoy!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own GMW, but Lucaya is bae.**

* * *

_"Maya, your teacher called me today at work." Katy said, frowning as Maya closed their apartment door looking worse for wear. "Did you get in trouble again?"_

_"Only because that dumb boy tried to steal Riley's crayons!" Maya said, crossing her arms._

_"Maya, you know how I feel about you fighting. I don't send you to school so you can get into trouble and sit in timeout all day." Katy scolded, "If someone bothers you or your friend, ignore them."_

_"But then he made fun of me and said I didn't have a real family because there's no daddy in my pictures!"_

_Katy pinched the bridge of her nose tiredly, "I'm sorry, Maya. Mommy's had a long, rough day at work. Go play in your room, please."_

_Maya's expression fell, and she pouted, irritated that her mother wasn't paying her any attention._

_"Mommy?" Maya asked, clambering onto the couch and trying to use that sweet little girl voice that she knew drove adults crazy into giving Riley whatever she wanted, "How come I don't have a daddy right now? You know Riley? Her daddy is a teacher. And that other kid Farkle also has a really rich daddy."_

_"You don't have a daddy_ period,_ Maya." Katy set her magazine down with a sigh and pulled the little blonde girl on her lap, "Because your father was scum of the earth and left us both."_

_Maya's eyes widened immeasurably, a little bit scared by the dark tone laced in her mother's words._

_"He didn't want to take care of a kid. So you know what happened to Mommy?" Maya shook her head, blonde coils bouncing around her face, "Mommy had to leave school to take care of her baby girl. And then when you were three, I had to get four jobs so we could afford a place to live and have food to eat. All because your deadbeat dad couldn't handle the pressure and left us."_

_"Daddy left us?" Maya had always thought he was on a long business trip and a very busy man._

_"He doesn't care about either of us." Katy said sharply._

_"Then why did he send me a dress last week?"_

_"Just because he has a little humanity, doesn't mean that he's a good man or a caring person. That dress was supposed to be a birthday gift for you." Katy responded bitterly, "Your birthday was months ago."_

_Maya looked down at her booted feet, wondering why her mom sounded like she hated her dad so much._

_"You may not get it now because you're young, but you'll learn." Katy took Maya's pudgy chin in her hand and turned her face so she was looking at her, "That's why I need you to promise me to never make the same mistakes that I made. Don't let yourself get fooled by some idiot guy's promises of a beautiful future and everlasting love. Don't let him fool you into thinking that he'll cherish you, because the second he sees an out, he'll run with his tail between his legs. Men are_ cowards._ Loathsome cowards and dream breakers. You'll fall for many guys in the future, baby girl. But never give your all to them. Preserve yourself. I want you to promise me,_ _Maya."_

_Maya frowned, not really understanding why her mother was so mad._

_"Promise me!"_

_"I promise!" Maya exclaimed, lip quivering in fright by the unnatural gleam in her mother's eyes._

_"Good."_

* * *

Maya's eyes widened as her stomach dropped to her feet, "Wait Mom, I can explain–"

"Explain what?" Katy hissed, her eyes gleaming with fury, "That you couldn't keep your legs closed despite me _begging_ you to? That you deliberately disobeyed my orders? That you broke our promise?"

"I didn't mean to." Maya's voice shook, her heart racing rapidly as her lip quivered in fear, "Mom listen."

"Do you even know the father?" Katy continued, undeterred. "Or let me guess, there are multiple prospects?"

Despite her efforts, Maya's vision blurred with tears, "How can you say that Mom? It was just a mistake!"

"A mistake, she says." Katy scoffed sarcastically, "_Just_ a mistake?! Do you realize what this will cost you? I sent you to school to make a goddamned living for yourself! To give you your best shot so you wouldn't end up like me! Pregnant at seventeen with no one to help raise your child. Do you know how much I suffered because of the pregnancy? And now here you are, doing the exact same shit!"

"Mom, I'm sorry! Please just hear me out!"

"Now you'll spend your days working morning through evening just to support this _child_ of yours and you'll never get anywhere in life. You've ruined all your chances because you were too stupid to _wait_ like I told you several hundreds of times!"

"Mom, please!"

"I warned you, Maya!" she yelled, "I told you to preserve yourself time after time after time, but you didn't listen!"

"Just hear me out!" Maya cried in distress.

"I don't want to hear it!" Katy screeched. She took a deep shaky breath, shaking her head in disgust, "You're a lost cause. Get the fuck out of this house. I want nothing to do with this."

Katy flung the wrinkled picture out at Maya, and then slammed the door shut, leaving Maya standing there in shock at what had just happened.

"Mom please don't do this! Just let me in! I'm sorry!" Maya banged on the door, but was only rewarded with the sound of the lock clicking in place. "Please… I'm begging you… Don't abandon me…"

Maya sank down onto the floor, bringing her knees to her chest and breaking down sobbing in front of the door. She didn't care that a few of the neighbours had opened their doors, wondering what all the commotion was about. She didn't care that a few were gossiping amongst themselves about what could have been the possible cause of this argument. All she could think about was the fact that she had lost her home. She'd officially been kicked out by her mother. And what hurt the most wasn't the fact that she had gotten kicked out. What hurt so badly was the deceived way with which Katy had looked at Maya as if she was a stain on her ledger. The one imperfection on Katy's otherwise perfect life resume.

"Why…" Maya whimpered, hand shaking as she gripped her ultrasound photo.

_Why does shit always have to get fucked up for me? This is all your fucking fault!_

Maya had imagined that when she did tell Katy about her pregnancy, she would be mad and a little disappointed, but she would understand. Never had Maya imagined such an extreme belligerent response.

Katy had rejected Maya completely. And now, she'd thrown Maya out on her ass to fend for herself. It was something Katy had threatened on and off in the past, like when Maya kept coming home with blackened eyes in her youth or the first time Maya had let a boy chill and hang out in her room unsupervised. But this was the first time she had acted out on her disgust. Maya didn't even know if this was temporary or not. But judging from the fact that the suitcase was near full to the brim with her clothes and some shoes, this was likely to be a long term arrangement.

Sniffling, Maya swiped her sleeve across her face, clearing it of the twin streamlets of tears trailing down her cheeks. Her stomach growled painfully in a request to fill it with some food, but Maya paid no heed to it, unable to muster up an appetite to satisfy her stomach. She knew that anything she put into her mouth would only come right back out in a few moments.

But that did remind her of the ten bucks Riley had given her.

And she needed a place to stay for the night.

Maya pulled her phone out to call Riley, only to remember that it had died the night before and she hadn't had a chance to charge it. Sighing, Maya pocketed the phone and stood up slowly, trying to fight the tears that wanted to rise once again. She squeezed the shoes on top of the suitcase inside her school bag before tugging the suitcase along behind her.

As she walked down the street, the already dark night sky darkened to an ominous purple with gray clouds, and with it came the threatening grumble of thunder and the humid stickiness of rain. But that didn't stop Maya from dragging her feet on the sidewalk, despite the fact that she was bound to get caught in the rain. She didn't even bother taking the subway as she normally would to get to Riley's. She walked right by the station entrance, not wanting to have to deal with inquisitive looks and questions regarding her red rimmed eyes and snot running down her face. Tears kept leaking out of Maya's eyes, and she was almost certain mascara was running down her cheeks and her eye liner was smeared from her rubbing. She knew she probably looked like roadkill as she walked by people, but at least the people on the street would be less likely to confront her about her current condition. She did get some pretty concerned looks from people scurrying along the sidewalk to get away from the impending rain, but for the most part, she was completely ignored, and Maya was grateful for it.

The sky rumbled dangerously and not a moment later, it opened and a torrent of rain cascaded down from the clouds, drenching Maya almost instantly. Around her, people scrambled to hurry to their destinations, running around the strange blonde girl who was walking slowly in the rain. But she ignored it all and continued her slow pace to the only place she knew she could go.

She lost track of time as she walked through the streets of New York, dragging her squeaky wheeled suitcase behind her the whole way. Gradually, strip clubs and hookers waving for clients in the streets turned into classy nightclubs and people waving frantically for taxis. She continued on her way, paying no regard to anything aside from her destination.

Maya wasn't sure how long she had been walking or for what distance, but when she arrived at the Matthews' apartment building, there were barely any people out and about anymore and the stars had come out to play.

She buzzed several times for their apartment, hoping someone was up to let her in.

_"Hello? Who is it?"_

It was Cory, sounding put off and bewildered at who could possibly be ringing in so late at night.

Maya sniffled, her voice hoarse. "It's Maya. Please let me in?"

There was no response, just an automatic unclicking of the apartment's gates to let her in. She trudged through the lobby and up the stairs to Riley's floor, mentally apologizing to whoever cleaned the building for dragging water and dirt in all over the place.

When she got to their door, Cory was already standing there, the same perturbed look on his face that she had heard in his voice. She could just tell whatever words he had for her vanished as soon as he saw her.

"Maya! You're soaked!" He fretted in concern, pulling her in quickly. "What are you doing walking in the rain without an umbrella?"

He disappeared down the hall momentarily before returning with a towel and throwing it on Maya.

"Here. Come sit down."

She let him pull her to the couch, and she plopped down on it next to him, her lower lip quivering.

"Maya, what's going on?" he tenderly wiped away one of her tears, "Have you been crying?"

Maya felt ridiculous. She thought she had already exhausted all of her tears as she had been walking, but seeing Cory's worried and caring face made a whole new bout of fresh tears brim on her lower eyelid. And before she knew it, she was sobbing once again, head in her hands and shoulders shaking.

Cory immediately wrapped Maya in a hug, shushing her gently and rocking her back and forth, "Maya, it's okay. What happened?"

"I-I got kicked out…" Maya said, sniffling deeply.

"Katy kicked you out?" he asked in alarm. Maya nodded in confirmation, still collapsed into herself. "Why did you get kicked out Maya?"

"I'm pregnant…" she blubbered, "I'm pregnant and my mom found out, and she doesn't want anything to do with me anymore after I broke our promise."

She felt him stiffen and his breath hitched after those words and she closed her eyes, bracing herself for yet another rejection. He was silent for several seconds and each excruciating second elevated Maya's fears.

_Great… Now he's going to kick me out too…_

"It must have taken you a lot of courage to tell me, Maya." He finally said quietly.

To her horror, she realized his voice was carefully blank. In her experience, a blank expression and voice devoid of any emotion was always a precursor to trouble.

"Maya, how long have you been keeping this a secret?"

"About four weeks or so."

"Four weeks?" he sounded shocked, and undeniably, Maya found traces of disappointment in his words. She was right. He was angry with her and completely disappointed. "You kept this to yourself for four weeks?"

"Riley knew… So did Topanga."

"Well that explains the whole ketchup cravings…" he said, rubbing his chin pensively. "And eating all the food in our fridge."

"I'm so sorry…" she whispered, her voice breaking, "I know I failed you… I understand if you never want me over here again or if you don't want me near Riley anymore. I'm a terrible influence and a complete failure–"

"Maya stop." He said abruptly, startling her into rapid silence.

She looked up, expecting to see an angry Cory, but instead, he was looking at her benevolently, if not a little sadly. There was disappointment in his expression and a little annoyance too, but somehow, it didn't seem like it was directed towards her.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier? I wish you had."

"I was scared…"

"Scared of what?"

"Scared you would be disappointed in me. Scared that you'd be angry with me and that you'd want nothing to do with me." she wiped her nose with the towel, scoffing at herself. "I know you are. Why wouldn't you be? I'm a fuck up."

"I am disappointed in you Maya." He said carefully, "But not because you made a mistake. I'm disappointed in you because you didn't believe in me enough to know that I would never ever reject you. You're one of my daughters. How could I turn you away?"

"And I am angry." He continued, giving Maya a comforting squeeze, "But not because you're pregnant. I'm angry that all this time, you've been keeping such a big secret and dealing with it on your own. I'm angry that Katy left you to fend for yourself when you need the most help right now. And I'm angry at myself, because what kind of father am I if I can't even pick up on the fact that my daughter is going through something so difficult on her own."

She stared at him in stunned silence, knowing her eyes were crawling with tears once again.

"Maya, this goes without saying, but you know you always have a home with us, right? You can come to us if you ever need anything. _All_ of us."

Maya nodded quietly, biting her lip to stop it from quivering violently. She was shivering almost uncontrollably, but Maya couldn't tell whether it was from her cold clothes sticking to her skin or the fact that she was seconds from bursting into tears once again.

"How can you just accept it so easily?" she asked, "I made such a stupid mistake. I'm pregnant. At _seventeen_."

_Why is he not reacting like Mom? It doesn't make any sense._

"Maya, the mistakes we make don't define who we are as people. You're still a good girl and an excellent best friend with a great big heart." Cory smiled kindly, "So you're pregnant at seventeen. The world isn't going to stop because it hasn't given up on you. So you don't give up on yourself."

She nodded, though she couldn't help feeling ashamed nonetheless.

A tired Topanga and Riley walked into the living room, worried looks on their faces, "Cory, what's going on here?"

"Who was at the door, Dad?"

"It's Maya." He responded, gesturing to the towel ball next to him, "Katy kicked her out."

Maya gave them a weak wave from the couch, smiling tight lipped and unhappily.

Riley looked horrified, "Your mom kicked you out?"

"She found out about my pregnancy…" Maya replied, her voice breaking again.

"Oh you poor baby." Topanga said, rushing over and carefully pulling her up to her feet. "Maya, you're drenched! Did you walk all the way here in the rain?"

Maya sneezed loudly before she could respond, blowing her nose with the towel. That was all the answer Topanga needed.

"You're going to catch a cold if you stay in these wet clothes! Go take a warm shower okay. We can figure out what's going to happen tomorrow, but you're sleeping here tonight." Topanga gestured to Riley, "Riley can you get her something clean to wear?"

Riley took Maya's hand and ushered her rapidly to the bathroom where she all but ripped her clothes off of her and shoved her under the scalding water coming out of the shower head.

"Shower. I'll be right back."

As Maya washed the grime from her skin, another round of tears began, and she sobbed, feeling nothing but cold despite the fact that she was standing in a steaming shower. She had no home anymore. She wasn't even sure if she had a mother anymore. What was it about her that screamed that she should be left? Was she really that much like her own mother? The kind of person who _deserved_ to be left? The kind of person who didn't deserve good things in life? It seemed like every time something good happened to her, some shit had to hit the fan to even out the world and keep it balanced.

Her thoughts were broken when Riley walked in with the pair of flannels Maya always borrowed during sleepovers.

"Maya? Are you hungry?"

"Not really…" she sighed, turning off the water, though her stomach grumbled in annoyance.

"…Alright. If you're sure." Riley hesitated, dropping the pajamas on top of Maya's towel, "I'll be in my room in a little bit, okay?"

Maya toweled herself down before slipping on the bed clothes. She stared at herself in the mirror as she wrung out her tangled mess of hair. Her eyes were gaunt and a little hollow. Even the vibrant blue she was used to seeing in the mirror was dull. She looked pale and scrawny. Like she'd lost a lot of her spirit.

_I guess I have. _

Maya scoffed at her own disgusting reflection and headed to Riley's room. She could hear hushed voices discussing something animatedly in the living room and scurried on her way to avoid listening in on anything. She didn't want to hear it. She was scared of what they would say. It was one thing to give her a place to stay for the night, but she knew eventually, she'd become a burden. She'd probably lose a home again. She'd be left.

And that did seem to be the theme of her life.

She laid down on Riley's pillow, not caring that her hair was still a little bit wet and was creating an uncomfortable damp spot. Her eyes rested on Riley's identical Hello Kitty clock, watching as it took ages for the minute hand to change.

Riley walked in, dragging Maya's wet suitcase behind her. "Dad said you can skip the rest of the school week if you need to. And I'll stay with you."

Maya didn't respond, staring at the clock, eyes half lidded and tear drops staining the fabric of the pillow. A few weeks ago, she'd watched this clock earnestly as she waited to see if she was pregnant. A pregnancy that was slowly, but surely fucking up her life.

Riley cut the lights of her room and slid onto her side of the bed, all the while watching Maya morosely. She took Maya's hand and squeezed it. Maya kept her gaze on the covers, silent tears leaking from the corner of her eyes as she stared blankly, sniffling every once in a while. After an extended period of silence, Riley finally spoke.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Riley asked softly, a little bit hurt by Maya's dismissal. She knew Maya's general behaviour when something bad happened to her was to withdraw from everyone around her and avoid issues, but they'd been best friends for so long. It hurt that Maya would even try the same thing with her.

"Mom says I ruined my life…" Maya said monotonously. "And I know she's right."

"She's not right. Your life isn't ruined."

"She _is_ right Riley. She's the only one who has the guts to tell me what a fuck up I really am." Her voice wavered, and she swallowed thickly to control herself. "Me, keeping a baby? There's no way the kid would grow up right… I'd just be subjecting another life to being a fuck up in the future as well."

"Maya enough with these self-destructive thoughts!" Riley hissed vehemently, startling Maya into meeting her gaze. Riley's eyes were shining with tears through her glare. "Why do you act like you hate yourself so much? I just don't understand. You're the best person I know. And Jellybean is lucky that _you're_ going to be its mother. We all love you so much. So why can't you love yourself?"

"Riley. I'm pregnant. Do you think this is fun and games anymore? I was kicked out of my house. My mom _hates_ me." Her eyes welled up again, and she took in a deep, shuddering breath, "And eventually, if I stay here, you all will too."

"Nobody hates you Maya. And nobody will ever hate you." Riley frowned, "You're our precious honourary family member. Do you know how much we need you in our lives?"

Maya looked away in disagreement, chewing on her bottom lip.

"Riley… I'm a lost cause." She said miserably, "Give up on me."

And then her cheek stung with the pain of a sharp slap to the face from Riley. Maya's eyes snapped to Riley's in stupefied irritation.

"Ow." Maya growled in annoyance, "What the fuck?"

"Good. There's that spark in your eyes. You're coming back to me." Riley smiled. "I don't know why you would ever think it's okay to ask me to give up on you. You know I never will."

"Did that really merit a slap to the face though?" Maya grumbled, "Your hands are cold."

"You didn't want to listen." Riley shrugged, but she patted Maya's face gently, rubbing the light red mark she had made, "Maya. I know you're spiraling right now. And I'll do my best to help you get out of this funk, but you need to remember that things—no matter how bad they are—will always get better."

There was a thick and long silence that fell after her words.

"How Riley? How…?" Maya finally asked, wiping the last of the tears from her eyes, "Maybe I should have just had that abortion…"

"Would you have been able to live with yourself?" Riley's eyes were starting to droop shut. "Would you have been able to get through each day without thinking about the child that could have been?"

Maya remembered seeing Jellybean for the first time and the elation she got from seeing her precious heartbeat. She remembered how beautiful the heartbeat had sounded. One of the most defining and happiest moments of her life. She knew she had resented Jellybean tonight. Accused it for all the problems Maya was having now, but Jellybean had done nothing to deserve that kind of blame. The fault completely lied on Maya. Maya rested her hand lightly on her abdomen.

_I'm so sorry Jellybean. I know it's not your fault… I know I'm being a bitch. And I know I'm not perfect, but I'll work on being better to you... I promise.  
_

"No. I wouldn't have." Maya finally responded honestly. She snuggled closer to her best friend. "You won't leave me right?"

"Never. I told you, didn't I? I'll always have your back."

"Thank you… I love you, Riles."

"Love you too, Maya Papaya." She said, yawning loudly.

"Did your dad ask about the father of my baby?"

"Mmhmm…" Riley responded sluggishly, eyes closed and breathing even, "We didn't tell him…"

"Good. He'd probably kill Lucas during school."

Riley's lips curled into a slight smile, and then a few seconds later she was snoring softly. Maya watched her sleep for a moment before turning on her back and letting her thoughts take over once again.

_I'm pathetic._

Abandoned by her father. And then abandoned by her mother… And the worst part was that Maya couldn't even find it in herself to resent her mother. She just wanted her back.

Riley _was_ right. Things would get better eventually, but then they'd get bad once again, just like that. That's the way it worked in her life. Maya was a _stray_. Things would never stay good for her because no matter what she did she would eventually get rejected, pushed away, or left.

Tears began to pool in her eyes again, but Maya forced her sniffles down so as to not disturb Riley.

_Nothing but a pathetic failure…_

She cried herself silently to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Some of you guys are too good at predicting things lol... I'm going to have to put more plot twists in this story ;P  
**

**Thank you for the reviews everyone! I really love each and every individual one! Seeing them after coming home from a busy day makes my day! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own GMW, but Lucaya is bae.**

* * *

Maya slowly opened her eyes, yawning heavily. She'd been hearing the birds for a while, and she even had heard the Matthews bustling about to get out of their apartment and get to their destinations in the morning. But all through that, she had kept her eyes firmly shut. Even when Riley had finally gotten up to take a shower, Maya had still feigned sleep, preferring to lounge around in the bed all day.

She turned to face the bright lights coming from the window, her head lightly pounding with that small headache that she usually got when she cried herself to sleep.

For a second—a small second—she wondered why she had been crying, but it all suddenly came crashing down on her at once.

Her mother yelling at her, getting kicked out, walking to the Matthews in the shitty rain.

_That's right. I live with Riley now. _

Because her mother hated her and wanted nothing to do with her.

It was like a nightmare that had snuck out of the dreamscape and infected her life.

Maya's lips quivered, and she sat up, hugging herself tightly and trying to will herself not to cry again. She'd done enough crying for a whole lifetime the night before. But even as she said that, she couldn't fight the tears welling up in her eyes. She needed to preoccupy herself.

Forcing herself out of the bed, she shed her clothes, grabbed one of Riley's sweatshirts and a pair of leggings and headed to the bathroom. Almost on autopilot, she cleaned herself up and got dressed slowly and mechanically, trying to keep her thoughts from overtaking her once again. Maya avoided glancing in the mirror as she left the bathroom. She couldn't stand to look at herself at the moment.

Finger combing her hair as she waited for it to dry, Maya stared at the picture of the Matthews family on Riley's dresser. Never in her life had she ever felt so much despair looking at the close-knit family. She could never resent Riley—she loved her dear friend too much—but she couldn't help wondering why there was such a huge difference in their families and lives. Riley's parents were still married and very much in love and their entire family still got together on occasions to celebrate the holidays. Maya's family was almost completely destroyed now. Her father wasn't in the picture, her mother no longer spoke to her relatives, and Maya didn't know the Clutterbucket half of her family. And now she didn't even have her mother anymore.

Maya reached into her still drying school bag and pulled out the somewhat damp journal in which she penned her thoughts. She flipped to the very middle of the book and then turned to about a quarter of the way to the end. The on-going letter she had been writing her father was nestled there, untouched and unsent. She had been writing this letter to her father since she was in middle school. Every milestone, everything bad that had happened to her, everything that had to do with her life, she had written it all in this letter. It was her method of coping in bad situations, although she knew he would never receive it. She folded the notebook backwards at the most recent page and dated the continuation.

_Hey dad._

_Are you happy? Guess what? I got knocked up. Just like mom did. And guess what? She kicked me out of our home. I just wanted to let you know that I blame you. I blame you for this whole fucking mess! Why did you walk out on mom? Why did you walk out on me?! Because you abandoned her and caused her so much pain, she became intolerant. You ruined her good spirits and her happiness. And she kicked me out when she found out I was pregnant. None of this would have happened if you had stayed. I would have had a real family and a real home, and I wouldn't be the real fuck up I am now. Why, of all personality traits that I could have picked up from you, did I get your stupidity and the damn Clutterbucket genes to fuck up anything and everything in my life? And you know what hurts the most? I _don't _actually blame you. I know this is all my fault. I know that I fucked up on my own. But part of me wishes you could just accept the blame for your stupid mistakes and come back. I don't even have a family anymore. So why can't you be here for me? Why do I have to suffer without a family while you get to live happily with yours?! Can't you care about the fucking daughter you left behind?!_

By the end of the paragraph, Maya's eyes were completely red and tears had dripped onto the page. She slammed the notebook shut and flung it into a corner of Riley's room, curling into a ball on Riley's bed and trying to control her sobs.

She didn't know how long she stayed that way, sobbing and drifting in and out of a fitful rest, but by the time the last of the tears had dried, the midday sun had long passed and was even starting to set. She knew Riley had come to check up on her a couple of times, softly calling her name or asking if she was awake, but Maya remained silent, tracing tiny patterns on Riley's comforter as she sniffled.

Taking a deep breath, Maya finally sat up, rubbing her eyes. She couldn't stay lying in bed forever. She had to at least eat something. The scent of food traveled through Riley's open door and into her nose and Maya's stomach grumbled painfully, clearly irritated with her for not having eaten anything for several hours. She was absolutely starving. She pried herself up and out of bed, dragging her feet to the kitchen.

Riley was frying an egg at the stove when Maya walked in. Maya frowned. It was relatively quiet in the house for it being the late afternoon. Usually Riley was whining about something or another to her father at this time, and Topanga was helping Auggie with his homework. But no one else appeared to be home.

"Where is everyone?"

"Mom's working late tonight. Dad went to go pick up some pizza. And Auggie is at Ava's working on a project." Riley said, flipping the egg over and sighing dejectedly when the yolk burst open, "Are you hungry?"

Her stomach growled in response, and Riley giggled lightly. Riley opened up the fridge and pulled out a plate with what appeared to be chocolate chip pancakes. They were lopsided and looking a little rough, but she smiled sheepishly and set them in front of Maya.

"I made you some pancakes this morning, but you weren't awake."

"They're looking a little worse for wear…" Maya drawled, though she picked one up and gratefully took a bite. She winced. It was way too sweet. "Wow. I didn't think it was possible for someone to mess up pancakes."

Riley's brows furrowed and her lips turned down into a pout, "I tried!"

"I know, sweetie. I know." Maya said, continuing to eat.

_Okay… That was definitely an eggshell._

"Are they bad?"

"Yes. But I'm still eating them. You made them for me." she gestured to the stove, "Anyway, shouldn't you be keeping track of that egg?"

"Oh no!" Riley exclaimed, turning around quickly and checking on the egg.

Maya smiled in amusement. Riley was a very distracted cooker. She didn't keep her eyes on the stove long enough at times and then would panic and have a mini freak out when the food got burned or stuck to the pan. Not that she was any better herself. She'd spent a lot of her years eating takeout or going to the Matthews for breakfast and dinner, so she never actually learned how to properly cook. Not to mention her mother was rarely home and if she was, she left too early for Maya to watch her cook.

Maya snickered under her breath. They were a pair of disasters. How would they even survive on their own?

"That's the first smile I've seen on your face since yesterday night." Riley said softly as she slid the plate with the charred egg over to Maya.

"Yeah." Maya nodded, the soft smile still on her lips, "Thank you for bringing it back."

"Uh oh…"

Riley picked at her nails in that way she did when she knew she had messed up. She opened her mouth and then closed it again before grimacing. Eyes narrowed, Maya lifted her head and stared blankly at her best friend. She was biting her lip in guilt and looking at the floor. It was all highly suspicious.

"_Riley_…" Maya dragged out her name, "What did you do?"

"Okay I'm really, _really_ sorry, and I don't want your smile to disappear right after it just came back again but I just had to do it!"

"Well what did you do?"

Maya's eyebrow rose expectantly, though something told her she knew exactly what it was. Her pulse began to nervously race.

"Please don't hate me but I texted Lucas that you needed to tell him something and he said he would come over after practice."

Riley said it all under one breath and very quickly, so Maya almost didn't catch what she had said. But she got enough of the key words to piece together a general idea of what the statement entailed. And she was not happy.

"Riley!" she chastised, displeased with the turn of events. "I'm not ready! You can't just do things like that without consulting me."

"I couldn't help it Maya! I heard you crying all night and the only thing I could think about was how horrible things have been for you. I wanted to make it better."

"Yeah? Well this was not the way!"

"Well you should have expected this eventually! I'm a meddler. Meddling is what I do!"

Maya groaned and slumped on the table, her appetite suddenly gone, "Riley, I was going to tell him after the game…"

"Were you? Or were you going to lose your nerve again and push it to a later date?"

Maya looked up in annoyance.

"Don't give me that look, missy." Riley scolded, "I know how you operate. You've decided to tell him so many times and each time you chickened out. So I took matters into my own hands."

"This time was different. I really was going to tell him."

"Well it's too late now." Riley shrugged, "Either way, this convo has to happen. So it's happening today. I'm not going to sit here and let you suffer through this pregnancy on your own. He needs to be involved, and he needs to be involved now. Especially since you lost support from your mother."

Maya's frown loosened, and she sighed, poking at the burned egg on the plate.

"Riley…"

Riley's phone _pinged_, but she kept her eyes on Maya, a somber look in her chestnut brown eyes. She slid into the seat across from Maya and gently placed her hand on top of hers.

"It'll be okay. Just do it quickly. Like ripping off a Band-Aid."

"Fuck… why is this so hard…?" Maya huffed under her breath. "Why am I being so ridiculous?"

"Because you're Maya. You wouldn't be you if you didn't secretly hold things in and worry about them until they made you crazy."

Maya let out a short breath of laughter. "You're such a goof..."

"You'll tell him?"

"Yeah. I'll tell him."

"Good." Riley said, finally checking her cellphone, "Because he just arrived outside my window."

"Riley! What the hell? Too soon!"

"Go talk to him." Riley said, her face more serious than Maya had seen in a long time, "Or I'll tell him."

Maya knew Riley meant business. Nodding silently and nervously licking her lips, she stood from the table and made the trek back to Riley's room. Her heart was hammering louder and louder in her chest with each step she took.

Sure enough, when she pushed past the bedroom door, Lucas was knocking at the closed window, his gym bag under one arm, his messenger bag under another. He smiled when he saw her, but when she didn't return it, his expression sobered in concern.

Maya pulled the window open and sat on the cushions on the sill, waiting patiently for him to crawl in.

"You and Riley weren't at school today."

"I know." She sighed, patting the seat next to her. "Sit."

"Everything okay? Riley's text made it sound like something bad happened."

_Of course… She probably sent an all caps 'urgent' message…_

"It's not… bad exactly…"

And she tapered off, averting her gaze, feeling apprehensive. Why the hell did Lucas have to look at her like that? Like he honestly cared for her.

"Maya, I'm listening." he set his hand on her shoulder, squeezing comfortingly. "You can trust me. Tell me what's wrong."

He was right. She _could_ trust him. And she had been keeping this to herself for long enough. She finally looked at him. His green eyes were encouraging and affectionate in a way that spread warmth through her entire body. He smiled kindly, though his expression seemed slightly apprehensive. He was so oblivious to the storm that was about to come. She wondered just how distorted that expression would become in the next second.

_Okay fuck it… Man up and tell him. Rip it off like a Band-Aid Maya…_

Maya took a deep, preparatory breath.

And:

"Lucas. I'm pregnant."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hardest chapter of any story I've ever had to write... I hope it's decent because shit! That took forever.  
**

**I caved! I just had to use "shortstack". I just think it's the cutest frickin nickname ever for Maya! I'm kind of pissed they didn't show the tone with which he said the words to her in the actual episode! If this doesn't become his nickname for her in the future, I will be upset.  
**

**I am so glad you guys are enjoying the story! Thank you for all the kind reviews and comments! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own GMW, but Lucaya is bae.**

* * *

_Whoever had the idea to host the party at the abandoned warehouse: genius._

_Their football team had won the first game of the season, and like all ridiculous high school seniors, they _had to _celebrate that win at the beginning of the year with a bang. So people had called other people, alcohol had been bought with fake IDs or stolen from parent's liquor cabinets, an impromptu student DJ was assigned to bring party music and speakers, girls went home to change into their trashiest outfits, and voila. A party had been born. Everyone at school had been invited to partake in the celebration of their team's great victory._

_Maya hadn't really been interested in going to the party since she had long ago lost interest in watching drunk idiots grind on each other—though she wasn't opposed to the free liquor—but had gone so that Riley wouldn't have to go alone. They'd all been taking a bunch of shots at the start so it hadn't been such a big deal, but now that Riley was tethered to her recent beau, Maya felt like she was third wheeling so hard. Farkle hadn't bothered to go to the party, citing something about charting the stars, so it wasn't like she could chill with him. And even though Lucas was a part of the reason why the party had kicked off in the first place, she hadn't seen him at all, all night. Not that she was particularly looking for him or anything…_

_"Riley. I'm getting fresh air." She shouted over the noise._

_"Be safe!" Riley responded, holding her cup haphazardly over her head as she backed her butt up into her boyfriend's crotch._

_Maya left the clumped mass of bodies and headed outside to the front, sitting on the curb of the sidewalk, away from the couple heavily making out against the wall. She rubbed her hands up and down her arms when a light breeze passed through the dense summer air. It wasn't particularly cold, but the sudden air on her naked arms was enough to make goosebumps rise. _

_Though she wouldn't lie. Maya loved this weather. She loved evenings when the night was sticky with heat and a light breeze kicked up, unsettling that bubble of warmth that would surround her. On nights like those, she always believed something big was going to happen. She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply and rocking side by side. She wished there was a way she could take the feeling of the wind and put it directly into the perfect painting. She'd tried before, but it never came out the way she expected or wanted._

_Her thoughts were broken when someone shuffled out of the warehouse and plopped down next to her._

_"Not really in a partying mood?" _

_She opened her eyes and glanced at Lucas. His cheeks were a little flushed from alcohol, and that drunken, crooked grin was on his face._

_"Nah…" she said, leaning her head on his shoulder. She loved the scent of his cologne. "Just came for the free drinks. You?"_

_"I got bored."_

_"How?" she snorted, "You're like the star of tonight's party, Mr. QB. Isn't everybody all over you?"_

_"You aren't…"He muttered, playing with a lock of her unruly hair. _

_"What?" She snickered incredulously at his words. _

_She turned to look at him, and her smile faded slowly when he just watched her intently, his expression solemn. She swallowed thickly and looked back out towards the cars parked in the street, knowing that her face was flushing rather quickly._

_"You played really well tonight, Ranger Rick." She said, quickly changing the subject._

_"Probably my best." He agreed, grinning boyishly, "It's because you were in the stands cheering me on."_

_Maya stiffened. What game was he playing? Why the hell was he making these comments? She glared at him, feeling flustered and slightly out of control._

_ "Cut it out!" she said, shoving his shoulder. He laughed hard, catching her hand when she tried to push him over again. "It's not funny…"_

_"Hey… I'm kind of hungry." He said, nonchalantly enclosing her smaller hand in his and lacing their fingers together. "Don't you live nearby here?"_

_Maya stared at their entwined hands, her heart beating abnormally fast. She wondered why it felt natural, why it felt so right. And even though she felt so nervous, she still didn't want to remove her hand from his. _

_"Yeah. I'm sure we have some shit somewhere in the fridge."_

_A shit-eating grin appeared on his face. "Race ya."_

_Before she could even register the loss of warmth from his hand, he shot up and took off in the direction of her complex. Maya's eyes widened, and she stood up quickly, stumbling a little over her feet before she chased after him._

_"Not fair! I'm wearing heels!"_

_They raced through the streets, ignoring disparaging and exasperated looks from night owls prowling around and catcalls from the hookers. She vaguely wondered what the two drunk teens must have looked like to other people. _

_When she finally reached the front door of her apartment, Lucas was leaning against her door with a smug expression on his face._

_"Took you long enough…"_

_Maya glowered at him, leaning against the wall to catch her breath for a second._

_"How the hell are you not breathing hard right now?" she groaned, snatching up the spare key from under the welcome mat._

_"Seasoned athlete." he shrugged._

_"It's not fair. Your legs are longer than mine…" she whined under her breath, unlocking the door and slipping the key back into its proper place._

_"It's not my fault you're so tiny, Shortstack." he chuckled, avoiding her drunken fist when she tried to hit his arm._

_"You're an ass."_

_Maya shoved him aside with her hip and pushed open the door. She shivered at the sudden barrage of air conditioning that assaulted her. She had left it running on accident while she and Riley had been getting ready for the party. Crap, if her mom found out, she'd get in trouble for wasting money, never mind the fact that she was bringing a guy home unsupervised._

_Lucas closed the door behind him. "Where's your mom?"_

_"Overnight shift." she said over her shoulder._

_Maya cut off the air conditioning and then walked over to the fridge, opening up the bottom door and checking inside._

_There was nothing but a couple of waters and some milk. And something green in the back corner that she knew was no longer edible. She wondered when the last time she or her mother had done any grocery shopping was. It didn't matter anyway. She'd probably just end up eating at Riley's every day that week again. _

_She slammed the fridge shut, and yanked open the freezer, standing on her tip toes to rummage through the mess of ice cream and most likely rotten frozen dinners._

_"I think we've got some microwaveable quiches that are still good." She said, her voice slightly muffled, "I can't really reach them, though. Can you–"_

_And she froze._

_Lucas' hands were trailing lightly on the exposed skin of her waist. Goosebumps exploded on her skin. She could feel him nuzzling her hair. The intimacy of his action made her face burst into colour, and she sucked in a breath of air, caught off guard by the sudden heat that pooled at her core._

_"Lucas, what are you doing?" she stifled a gasp, trying to ignore the way she felt tingles between her legs when he rubbed feather light circles on her skin._

_"Have I ever told you… how sexy you are?"_

_And then Maya laughed out loud. She couldn't help it. It was such an _un_-Lucas thing to say—he'd always been more of a gentleman—and his words were a little slurred from the alcohol. The whole thing was just kind of ridiculous._

_"Alright, Huckleberry." she rolled her eyes, closing the freezer door, "Settle down."_

_"I'm serious, Maya." He growled lowly, lips pressed against her neck. "I want you."_

_Maya's body heated up almost immediately, and she gripped the door of the freezer when his hands slipped just underneath the top of her panties in her denim skirt. She let out an involuntary shiver when she felt an intense throbbing of want pass through her body. His tone had been sinfully low, entirely vulgar, and such a turn on that her knees almost buckled, and she rubbed her thighs together, a small, dull ache slowly building under her navel._

_"Lucas…" she near moaned, focusing on taking deep, even breaths. "You're not thinking straight. You don't."_

_But even as those words left her mouth, she still felt herself turning around in his arms to face him. Lucas' eyes were heated and trained patiently on hers. His expression was intense, and he was watching her like she was his entire world. She knew her face was on fire, and she licked her lips nervously._

_"I do." he replied softly, kissing her eyelid, then her other cheek, then her jaw, then the corner of her mouth. Maya's breathing harshened, and she averted her gaze, her pulse fluttering erratically when he gently tucked some of her loose hair behind her ear. "Maya. Look at me."_

_She shook her head, conflicted, and her whole being scared. Part of her wanted to. Part of her really wanted to just let it happen. The other part of her was absolutely terrified. This was _Lucas Huckleberry Friar._ He wasn't supposed to be here in her apartment caressing her skin like she was something precious he never wanted to let go. He wasn't supposed to be kissing her like she was his whole world, and he was lucky to have her. He wasn't supposed to be looking at her like the only thing he wanted to do was hike up her skirt and take her right against the fridge._

_Lucas gently took her chin in his hand and turned her face so she could see the sincerity in his gaze. His eyes had darkened, and she felt electricity run all the way through her body from the tip of her head down to her toes. That, coupled with the fact that she was pressed up against the fridge trapped by his body, made her realize he was making it hard for her to think about anything besides the growing pleasurable ache between her legs. _

_They stared at each other, gazes locked together and searching for something Maya didn't know. She slowly drew in a breath, Lucas' scent assaulting her nose and constricting her breathing. He shifted, easing a leg in between hers and causing a friction that made her fight to catch her breath._

_Shit._

_He hadn't really kissed or even _touched_ her yet, and she was already wet._

_She wondered if it was really worth it. But lust was far outweighing logic, and she found her gaze dropping to his lips. What would kissing him do to their already precarious friendship?_

_Lucas extinguished any thoughts racing through her mind when he leaned down and pressed his mouth firmly against hers. Maya groaned and slid her fingers into his hair, deepening the connection. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her flush against his body as she arched her back, pressing herself closer to him. His tongue trailed her lower lip, and she parted them, meeting it in a sensual dance that had her curling her toes in pleasure._

_She couldn't get enough of his kisses, his scent, the taste of coke and rum lingering on his tongue, the feel of his body trapping her against the fridge. She was dizzy, her head spinning and her body flushed with heat and want._

_Maya let out a little moan as he broke away, sucking lightly on her lower lip before releasing it. She was dazed and a little confused but as she stared into Lucas' eyes, she knew they were reciprocating whatever the other was feeling. Maya knew things had been off with them for a while. They'd been teetering over the edge just past friendship for a while. She knew it, especially in the way they'd hold each other's gazes, and she would see something intense and profound swirling in his irises. And judging by the way he was watching her right now, his gaze heady and shining with desire and warmth, she knew he felt the same._

_"Maya… what are we doing?" he asked breathlessly._

_"I don't know…"_

_But she knew where this was headed. _

_And they both knew he wouldn't be leaving her apartment that night._

_There were a lot of things they needed to talk about. And there were a lot of things they needed to consider if they slept with each other, but she was tipsy and he was tipsy, and she didn't really want to think about any consequences. She just wanted _him.

_"Stay…" she whispered earnestly against his lips._

_She wasn't exactly sure what she had meant by it herself, but Lucas' gaze darkened, and he seized her mouth in a possessive kiss with a ferocity she didn't know he was capable of. It was crude and demanding and almost brutal, and Maya could do nothing but whimper against his lips, grabbing the front of his shirt and tugging him ever closer._

_His hands found her hips and trailed down to her legs, hoisting her up when she hooked her leg around his hip. Maya wrapped her legs around his hips, snaking her hands around his shoulders as they continued their heated lip-lock. He gripped her ass, the weight of his body pinning her up against the fridge and supporting her. She could feel his erection straining through the confines of his pants and rolled her hips forward, grinding herself against his swollen member. Lucas swore under his breath, letting out a groan from deep within his chest._

_His hands traveled slowly up and down the smooth expanse of her leg as he dragged his lips down to her neck, sucking on her pulse point and coaxing out a lewd, strangled moan from her mouth. She tilted her head to give him more access, clutching at the taut muscles of his shoulders and upper back as an intense shiver ran through her entire body._

_She could vaguely hear him muttering words against her neck, but her mind was cloudy with lust and unresponsive._

_"What?" she gasped, her breathing ragged._

_"I don't have any condoms…" he muttered, backing off of her neck and meeting her eyes in concern._

_"It's okay, I'm covered." she said, eyes half-lidded in a haze of pleasure. It was hard to think when she could feel him pushing so persistently against her._

_"You sure?"_

_She was pretty sure she was. She'd missed four days of her birth control pack that week, but she'd probably be fine. It wasn't a big deal. She'd just make it up the following day and take five at once._

_"Yes."_

_She pulled his mouth back to hers, effectively ending the conversation and any lingering uncertainty. _

_There was no going back._

* * *

Lucas searched her eyes silently, his brows furrowed and mouth turned down in a frown. She could see some confusion in his eyes, but his gaze was, for the most part, carefully guarded.

"You're pregnant?" Lucas said, his expression difficult to determine.

She swallowed thickly, her courage quickly plummeting at the indecipherable look in his eyes. Maya knew this had been a bad idea. She gripped the bottom of Riley's sweatshirt.

"Is that all you have to say?" she said through grit teeth, feeling the sting of tears behind her eyes.

_Calm down Maya…_

"I don't really know what to say." He said, looking away. "Is that why you've been so distant?"

She was right. He didn't want anything to do with her. And now their friendship was fucked up, and he would never speak to her again. Guys like Lucas Friar wouldn't stick around for girls like Maya Hart. She tried to force down the growing lump in her throat.

"Who's the father?" he asked, his expression a little peeved.

_Wait, what?_

She rose a brow at him, giving him an incredulous look. What part of she was pregnant and telling _him_ did he not understand? She swore, sometimes he was so dense it made her want to punch him in the face.

"Lucas." She said in exasperation, grabbing his face with both hands and forcing him to look at her, "_You're_ the father."

His brows skipped, and he stared at her in shock, the expression in his eyes almost completely astonished.

He pointed to himself, "I'm…?"

"Yeah."

"From… _that_ night?"

She nodded, dropping her hands from his face and blushing at the reminder.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

They sat in silence for a moment, Lucas taking deep, uneven breaths while Maya fiddled with a frayed cushion on Riley's window bay. Her nerves slowly increased with each second he continued to remain silent. His gaze was trained on a spot on Riley's rug, and it was honestly starting to piss her off.

"Lucas. Say _something_." She finally huffed in irritation, falling back against the window, "I don't care what it is. Just fucking s_peak_."

"I'm just… I'm shocked, I guess." He glanced at her, and then his gaze dropped quickly to the floor. "I thought we were safe."

"I guess not…"

"How long have you been…?" he gestured to her general abdomen.

"Pregnant?" she gave him a pointed look, "Ten weeks."

"Shit…" he breathed out, raking his hands through his hair and dropping his head, "That long?"

Maya chewed on the inside of her cheek nervously. Lucas hadn't necessarily rejected her. But he hadn't said anything to alleviate her fears that he would either.

"God… No wonder you've been acting that way." he finally said, peeking up at her from over his shoulder. "You found out that week you were avoiding me like crazy, didn't you?"

She nodded silently.

"I'm assuming you're keeping the baby?" He sat back up and watched her, his brows furrowed.

She nodded again, still not understanding what he was getting at. She hated this feeling. She hated not knowing what he was thinking. She hated the fact that she was still uncertain if he had even decided on being involved.

What if she had been wrong? What if Lucas really didn't want anything to do with this mess?

The thought sent a sharp pang in her chest that made her want to curl up into a ball and cry her heart out. If he said he wanted nothing to do with them, she really wouldn't know what to do. And for some reason, the thought of his rejection hurt more than her mother kicking her out of their home.

"…Are you mad?" she whispered, her voice cracking as her throat tightened dangerously.

"No…" he leaned back against the windows, staring at the ceiling, "It's just a lot to take in at once… I'm having some trouble grasping my mind around it…"

"Well believe it, _Lucas_." she spat, glaring at him ferociously, "I'm fucking pregnant and _you're_ the goddamn father and now our entire lives will be screwed!"

To her horror, tears spilled from her eyes before she could catch them. Her lip trembled and she snapped her gaze away from his as he stared at her, stunned by her sudden outburst.

"Maya what…"

He reached for her, but she pulled away from him, standing up quickly and walking away, hugging herself as she sniffled. He probably never wanted to talk to her again. And now he was going to leave and pretend like none of this had ever happened.

"I understand if you don't want to talk to me ever again." Her voice broke when she glanced at him, "And I get it if you want to leave…"

"Maya, what are you talking about?" he was absolutely confused by her reaction.

"You want nothing to do with me!" she shouted, turning back around and facing the wall in embarrassment. She knew there was snot running down her face, but she didn't care.

"When the hell did I say I wanted nothing to do with you?" he asked slowly, irritation laced in his voice.

Maya didn't respond, biting her lip and trying to keep herself from sobbing. She'd already made herself look stupid enough in front of him as it was. There was no way she was going to let him see her at her absolute worst.

Lucas growled under his breath and stood up, striding over to her with purpose. He took her shoulders and spun her around, forcing her to face him.

"Let me make something clear. Just because I'm in shock, does not mean I don't want anything to do with you." he frowned, "Hell, you just sprung this on me. How was I supposed to react?"

She blinked up at him in shock, her mouth shutting in surprise.

"I'm in this all the way, Maya. It's my responsibility as the father of the kid. _Our_ kid." He said firmly, "I'll do everything I can to support you."

"I-I don't want your pity, Huckleberry." Maya said sharply, trying to hold on to any shreds of dignity she had left. She hated crying in front of anyone. Especially idiot, dense cowboys who always managed to make her heart double time every time he looked at her.

Lucas smiled in relief and hugged her to his chest, wrapping his arms tightly around her shoulders, despite her stiffening against him.

"Maya, it's not pity. I want to be part of this." He rubbed her back lightly, "I'm sorry for getting you into this situation."

His apology was so sincere and so heartwarming that Maya's eyes welled up with tears again, and she clutched the front of his t-shirt, looking down and hiding her face.

"It takes two to tango, cowboy." She mumbled.

"I know… But you've already had to suffer by yourself for a while. I want to make it up to you."

"You don't have to do me any favors." she pointed out stubbornly, her voice unsteady, "I can take care of this kid with or without you."

"Maya. Shut up." He responded, not unkindly, "It's half my kid in there too. I'm going to be part of this whether you want me to or not."

Her lips tugged up into a watery smile.

"You're fucking up your life if you stay, Sundance."

"You're ridiculous, Maya."

"Shut up." She said, burying her face in his chest.

She was crying. She was crying so hard because she was so unbelievably happy that she couldn't breathe. He held her close to him, rubbing soft circles on her back as she sobbed quietly into his shirt, staining it with her tears.

Dammit, why was she so emotional? Shouldn't her tear duct reserves have depleted by now?

"You know Riley's listening in through the door, right?" Lucas muttered, resting his chin on her head.

"Yeah. I can hear her breathing."

A yelp sounded through the door and feet scampered away rapidly.

"…So what happens now?" Maya asked tentatively.

"I guess we wait for the kid to arrive."

"Jellybean." Maya corrected softly. "We call the baby Jellybean."

He smiled, letting out a little laugh, "Okay. We wait for Jellybean to arrive."

She nodded, snuggling against him comfortably.

"I guess I'll have to tell my mom I'm going to be a dad."

Maya stiffened again. Mrs. Friar was kind hearted and cared about her son and his friends, but would she take particularly kindly to Lucas having impregnated someone? From what Maya had heard from Lucas about his sugar-free, alcohol intolerant, girlfriend-free household, she seemed pretty stiff. In fact, in a lot of ways, Mrs. Friar sounded a lot like her own mother. And that was something that scared Maya. No doubt his mother would want to meet Maya eventually. Would she reject her own grandchild like Katy had?

"Have you told your mom yet?" he asked her, rousing her back into the present.

"Let's just say Grandma Katy doesn't want anything to do with Jellybean."

"What do you mean?"

"I got kicked out of my house."

He held her a little bit away, looking down at her in alarm, "What? When?"

"Yesterday." She frowned, a little uncomfortable with the concern in his gaze, "I'm living with Riley for now. It's why I didn't come to school today."

He opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted when the door suddenly opened. Cory stood in the doorway, smiling widely.

"Maya, you hungry? I bought–"

His words died as he stared at the two of them, eyes moving from one to the other and back again. Something seemed to have clicked into place because the smile slowly dropped from his face and his eyes narrowed dangerously. His cheerful expression was very quickly replaced with a cold fury. Lucas let go of Maya like she was on fire and took a step back, eyes wide.

"…You're a dead man, Friar."

"Oh shit…" Lucas said, eyeing the window.

There was a moment where Cory eyed him menacingly, muscles tense and ready to pounce.

And then Lucas spun on his heel and clambered out of the window, rushing to the fire escape. Cory chased him out, waving his fist in the air like a crazy old man.

Maya groaned, running a hand through her hair. This was exactly why she hadn't wanted Cory to know.

"Please don't kill him."

"Oh, I won't kill him." Cory said, climbing out of the bay window. "I'm only going to rip off a _specific_ appendage…"

"…Fair enough…" Maya drawled, hopping onto Riley's bed and plugging her phone up to charge. She had no doubt Lucas would be texting her any second.

"You can run Lucas Friar, but you can't hide! You have to come back to get your stuff eventually!"

Cory disappeared out of the window, and Maya shook her head in amusement. Lucas wouldn't be invited at the Matthews home for a while after this.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, she got a text from Lucas.

**_Think I can come back later tonight and grab my bags?_**

_9ish. topanga will be home by then and he'll be distracted._

**_Thanks. _**

_np_

**_Are you coming to school at all this week?_**

_i don't think so. still not over the whole 'lost my home cuz my mom hates my guts' shit…_

**_I'm sorry._**

_not your fault huckleberry_

**_I still feel bad though._**

_don't. i don't want your pity_

**_Fine. _**

_good_

**_Should I return the corsage? You're probably not going to Homecoming anymore, right?_**

_haven't really decided._

Maya frowned.

_how did you manage to pick out a corsage when you have no idea what im wearing?_

**_Riley told me you'd be wearing green._**

Maya rolled her eyes in annoyance. Riley was under no jurisdiction to be giving any details like that. Maya hadn't even told her she was going to Homecoming anymore, so why had Riley told Lucas what colour dress she'd be wearing? Whatever games she was playing, Maya would get it out of her.

**_Look, its nbd if you don't want to go anymore. I'll just return it, and we can just chill instead._**

She felt bad. She didn't want to cancel on him. If she didn't go, it wouldn't be that big of a deal. But Lucas was on the court. And a pretty high contender for king. It wouldn't be right if he didn't go.

_i'll go. don't return it._

**_You sure?_**

_yeah_

**_Great :) We're all planning on going to dinner at 7. Pick you up at 6:30?_**

_come thru the window or cory will have your head. and i don't mean the one on your shoulders._

_**I, uh, figured…**_

_if it makes you feel better, he reacted a lot better than I thought he would._

_**Shoot! I think I see him! See you on Friday.**_

Maya wasn't particularly looking forward to going to Homecoming on Friday, but she wouldn't feel right leaving Lucas without a date. It wasn't like he could technically miss it. And quite frankly, she didn't want his reputation trashed because he skipped out on one of the biggest events of the school year. But she wasn't particularly looking forward to the fan girls who would try to throw themselves at him all night.

But she owed him this at least.

He'd managed to completely assuage her fears that he would run screaming from her and never look back.

Riley's head popped into the doorway, and she smiled, that excited twinkle in her eyes when something big happened to someone, and she really wanted to know.

"How'd it go, Maya?"

"Green, Riley?"

She grinned sheepishly, "It was a contingency plan. Just in case you did decide to go."

Maya rolled her eyes fondly and pulled herself off of the bed, walking out of the room with Riley.

"C'mon. Let's talk about it over dinner. I'm hungry."

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Maya noted that, even though things were far from okay, she felt like a huge weight had finally been lifted from her shoulders.


	9. Chapter 9

**A friend showed me some gif they found with Josh and Lucas as a couple and my reaction was literally **∑**((゜Д゜)))!  
**

**One simple request for anyone who is willing: Can you please, please, please, _please_ write a Brokeback Mountain AU with Lucas as Ennis, Josh as Jack, Maya as Lureen, and Riley as Alma? It would work so well because the personalities fit! I would die so fast and love you forever!  
**

**A/N: This chapter was never actually supposed to _be_ a chapter and took way too fucking long to write. And then I got lazy af... I slipped this in at the last moment because... well, for reasons. Urgh... I hate like 85% of this chapter... Anyway, enjoy this little change in tone :)  
**

**Headcanon: I can totally see Auggie growing up and becoming kind of a grumpy tween, exasperated by his bubbly, hyper older sister and her crazy antics with her friends.**

**Thanks for the really sweet reviews and commentary! I really appreciate them all! You guys are great! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own GMW, but Lucaya is bae.**

* * *

Maya woke up on Friday feeling a little better than she had in a while. Her stomach hadn't flipped over that day yet, and she didn't feel like bursting into tears when she thought about the fact that her mother had all but disowned her. She actually felt like she wanted a distraction from her messed up life for a change. Make no mistake, she still wasn't interested in going to Homecoming at all, but she figured it might be nice to spend some time with her friends instead of sulking in the room. A little change of pace was something she felt she needed.

Maya stretched languidly and checked the clock. It was just about a quarter past two.

The junior versus senior powderpuff game had probably started by that point. She looked at the messages on her phone. Farkle had been sending her updates all day, hoping that she got over her severe stomach bug as soon as possible. He sent pictures of the game, namely Riley playing receiver for the senior team. Most of the pictures were of Riley missing catches or getting clobbered in the head by a football with that goofy grin she always wore, and Maya snickered under her breath.

Despite Riley having pretended like she wasn't bothered by it, Maya knew that deep down, her best friend wanted to participate in the pre-Homecoming festivities that Friday. The powderpuff football game, the schoolwide picnic/barbecue, and the pep rally. But in order to be allowed to participate, students were required to show up to school that day. It was the school's little way of forcing those particular seniors with extreme senioritis who regularly skipped school that if they wanted to have fun at school events with their friends that year, they had to show up at least once or twice.

Riley had been fidgeting all Thursday during dinner and chattering excitedly about all the cool memorabilia they would be getting during the pep rally for the football game on Saturday. So Maya had told her to go to school, telling her that she would be alright. Riley was reluctant to let Maya stay at home by herself, especially since she was still vomiting at least twice a day, but she had convinced her she would be fine and that Riley should enjoy the day. So Riley had gone that morning, promising to come back as soon as the festivities were over.

In the meantime, Maya got up from Riley's bed and stripped out of her pajamas. It was about time she pampered herself for the day. She was talking full-on prepping and cleansing, whole body shave, full-out makeup and nail polish, hair curled and coiffed to perfection until Lucas' socks were grenaded off. (Not that she was trying to impress him or anything. She was doing this all for herself, but seeing his wide eyed reaction definitely wouldn't hurt.) She had about five hours or so to finish getting ready, so she went to the bathroom to wash herself and exfoliate her pores before she layered the poison on it.

A while later, as she blow-dried her wet locks out to prepare for straightening, she received a text from Farkle.

**_Guess who was cheer captain of our Powderpuff Team. He says hi, by the way._**

It was a picture of Lucas looking absolutely adorable in a glittery, sequined cowboy hat on his head and pompoms in his hand. He was cheering and doing a high kick with some of the other guys in their grade, obviously in the middle of a routine. The guys were all squeezed in the girls' cheerleading uniforms, barely fitting and tight against their skin. Maya had to physically bite her lower lip to stop from bursting out laughing and immediately saved the photo. It would definitely come in handy as blackmail material for the future. Or maybe she would hack his Facebook and make it his profile picture.

_thanks farks. definitely made my day_

**_Took a vid too. I'll send it later._**

_you're the best_

**_I know :D_**

Maya continued with the arduous process of drying her hair and combing out the tangles and any knots that had formed while she had been taking a shampoo. It was a pain, but it would definitely be worth it in the end when her hair was finally untangled and looked like… well, hair. Maya rarely did anything with her hair and tended to just let it become a nappy cat on her head. But she would let it be extra special this time. She'd really give it her all to make it look as nice as possible.

Once detangled, she sprayed her heat protectant and twisted the hair into a loose bun on the top of her head before pulling out a small chunk from the back.

"Mommy's going to look like a princess." She mumbled, carefully taking the heated flat iron to it, "Are you excited, Jellybean?"

"Who's Jellybean?" Auggie asked, suddenly turning the corner and showing up in front of the door.

"Fuck!" Maya jumped, glancing at the short boy out of the corner of her eye. "Auggie, you scared me. I thought you were playing at Ava's this afternoon."

"I was. But Ava broke up with me."

Maya rolled her eyes, already used to Ava's sudden outbursts of irritation and breaking off of their relationship. She would forgive whatever Auggie did soon enough, and they'd be back together in no time.

"She'll get over it soon."

Auggie nodded, though he looked irritated and took another bite of the cookies he'd snatched from the kitchen. He watched as she tediously and meticulously did her hair, straightening it and then brushing out each little section carefully. Rinse, lather, repeat.

"So… I take it you're living with us now?" he asked curiously, "You haven't left Riley's room all week. And you didn't go to school this week."

"Yeah." She responded, a little uncomfortable with the question. She wasn't sure she wanted to answer what probably would come next.

"Why?"

She let out a little breath, "I, uh… Had a fight with my mom."

"Oh." He finished off the cookie and brushed the crumbs off on his pants. "Is this going to be a temporary thing? Or is it permanent?"

"For now? Kind of permanent."

"You're not getting my room, are you? Because I had it first."

She snorted, giving Auggie a reassuring smile, "No Auggie. Don't worry. I'm not going to try to take your room."

He let out a sigh of relief, "Oh good. Because I thought I was going to have to handcuff you to Riley's bedpost."

She gave him a dirty look, and Auggie laughed nervously, backing away from the door and then running down the hall to his room. She wondered how long it would be until Auggie figured out _why_ her mother had kicked her out. She hadn't told him she was pregnant because she didn't deem it necessary yet, but she wouldn't be able to hide her pregnancy in the future and if she was still living at the Matthews' apartment by that point, she would have to tell him eventually. In fact, she'd have to figure out when to tell a lot of people. Farkle being one of them. Being pregnant came with a lot of baggage. She let out a sigh and went a little faster to try to get her hair finished and out of the way.

"You are a load of trouble, Bean…" she said, carefully making sure she didn't burn her ear.

About an hour later, she finally received a text from Riley.

**_Seniors beat the juniors! AND I SCORED A TOUCHDOWN MAYA. I mean, it was in the wrong endzone, but I still scored one. Gonna go pick up your dress from the cleaners. Be home soon._**

Maya smiled. Her little pumpkin. She never failed to put a smile on her face.

"You're gonna love Riley, Beanie. She's goofy, but she's the best person I know…"

She continued to work on her hair, crooning softly to her abdomen all the while.

~.~.~

"Riley! Maya! You two look beautiful!" Topanga gushed, waving her hands for them to get closer, "Stand right there for a second. Let me take some pictures!"

They smiled stiffly, posing for Riley's mother as she took countless pictures. Maya felt like her face had layer after layer of _frosting_ on it. Honestly, she really hoped this stupid dance would be worth it because she would be mad if she spent all this time preparing for something dreadful or boring.

Though, she wouldn't lie. She and Riley had really outdone themselves. Riley had gone with fashion fuchsia as her _couleur du soir_ and was rocking the over-the-shoulder, pouf dress she'd chosen. She'd forgone the heels and worn fancy silver flats for the occasion, since she honestly didn't want to be much taller than her date. To her, it was already bad enough that she was already a couple inches taller. Maya had paired her own strapless empire emerald dress with some gold pumps she'd borrowed from Topanga. They were decked out in tasteful jewelry and their makeup was on point, highlighting their best features and framing their eyes nicely.

Simply put, they were _fabulous_.

"They look like grapes and a vine…" Auggie muttered crossly from his seat on the couch, upping the volume of the TV to try to drown out the sound of the tittering behind him.

"Auggie." Topanga scolded, "That's not nice, sweetie. Why are you so grouchy?"

Riley shook her head, "Ava broke up with him."

"Again?"

Riley nodded, and Topanga leaned over and pressed a soft kiss on her son's head, whispering to him that Ava would come to her senses soon enough.

The buzzer rang downstairs, and Cory pushed the button.

"Who's there?"

_"It's Steven sir. I'm here to pick up Riley?"_

Cory let him up, but then slumped against the wall. He sulked in the corner, glowering at the door.

"I don't like this. That boy is going to try to do things to my Riley."

Riley rolled her eyes, "Dad, Steven is a nice guy. He's not going to do anything to me. And I won't let him."

"I still don't like it." He turned to Maya. "And you. When is your date arriving?"

"Oh…I'm, uh… I'm going stag." She lied, preoccupying herself with the hem of her dress.

Cory had been sulking for the better part of the week, muttering things under his breath about idiot Texans who took his daughter's innocence. Maya had to refrain from telling him that she lost it a year ago when she'd had her first serious boyfriend, but the situation was already precarious enough, and quite honestly, she didn't want to add another boy to Cory's already growing list of people to castrate. So she and Riley kept it on the DL about Lucas taking her to Homecoming.

Cory frowned, "Well how are you getting to the dance?"

"A friend is giving me a ride." She said, starting to feel like she was being cornered. Riley's eyes shifted from left to right in worry, looking for a diversion.

Cory frowned and looked like he was about to further question her, but then there was a knock on the door. Everyone turned in that direction, attentions caught by the arrival of Riley's date.

"Oh look! There's my date!" Riley exclaimed, quickly changing the subject. Maya had never been more grateful for punctual dates, and Riley's uncanny ability to rapidly change subjects.

Riley rushed to open the door while Cory stalked closely behind her, ready to play the role of overprotective father and put the fear of God in the boy.

"I take it you're leaving from the window, Maya?"

Topanga turned back to Maya, tugging her gently forward and giving her a knowing smile.

"Uh, yeah."

"Mmhmm… Well when your _friend_ arrives, make sure he knows to park around the corner, because Cory _will_ be watching out for a truck."

Maya tried to refrain from smiling, "Got it."

She hugged Maya tightly, "You're very strong for going out tonight even with this week being so hard on you. I'm proud of you."

"Thank you." Maya said, feeling a genuine smile growing on her face.

"Have a good time tonight okay?" she ushered Maya toward the hallway, "I'll distract Cory so he won't realize you left."

"Thanks. I will."

Maya walked back to Riley's room, taking her phone out of her clutch and warning Lucas against leaving his car in a location where Cory could easily see it. She swore the man was clairvoyant. In Riley's room, Maya opened her closet and observed herself in the full-length mirror, trying to gather up her confidence. This was probably the last time she was going to look like this. And then it would be bloated, round Maya for the rest of the school year.

Her phone buzzed.

**_Hey, thanks for the heads up. I'm heading up the fire escape now. See you in a sec._**

She suddenly got a lot more nervous for some reason, twiddling her thumbs and licking her red lips anxiously. What the hell was she so worried about? It was just Ranger Rick. There was no reason for her to be so apprehensive.

"Well, Jellybean. Here goes nothing."

Maya grabbed the white lilac boutonniere from Riley's desk and climbed onto the sill, being careful not to mess up her hair too badly. She yanked the window open and slowly crawled out. She waited beside the window, holding her breath as she heard Lucas' steps approach from underneath. Soon, she could see his outline as he took the steps two at a time.

And then he reached the landing and rounded the stairs.

His gaze landed on her and he froze, taking her in in shock as his mouth slowly dropped open. He was silent, just watching her like he'd just seen an angel. She tucked a lock of her coiled hair behind her ear, looking at the ground a little bit nervously and feeling kind of shy. She wasn't used to him looking at her like that.

She looked back up to tell him to get a grip, and then she stiffened. Not because he was looking so unbelievably fuckable in his dress clothes (even though he was).

But because he had that damn glittery cowboy hat from the powderpuff game on his head.

She swallowed her blush from his awed gaze and turned right around.

"I warned you Huckleberry." She said, starting to climb back inside the window, "You're on your own."

"Maya…" He said, completely ignoring her threat to leave, "You look beautiful."

She looked over shoulder, knowing her cheeks were starting to rouge. Damn it. She wasn't used to his compliments, and it was throwing her off balance.

"You don't have to exaggerate."

"I'm not." He smiled, walking over to her and gently taking her wrist, pulling her away from window so she was facing him once again. "Maya, I mean it. You're gorgeous."

She opened her mouth to respond, but no words could come to her. So instead, she just held his gaze, hoping he could not feel how fast her pulse was racing. He smelled amazing, and she was really tempted to lean forward and just inhale deeply.

When his unwavering warm, green gaze started to become too much to handle she cleared her throat and thrust the boutonniere at his chest, putting more space between them.

"Here." She said, taking a wide step back and trying to tamper down how flustered she was.

He caught it in surprise, looking at it for a second before giving Maya a shit-eating grin.

"Aren't _you_ supposed to pin it on me?"

"Like hell I'm doing that when you're wearing a damn cowboy hat, Sundance." She stuck her hand out, "Where's the corsage? Let's just put the stupid things on and get going."

He laughed and handed her the corsage, an almost identical one to the boutonniere she had gotten him.

Maya slipped it on with a shake of her head, "I don't understand how we managed to match everything to a T. We never discussed this at all."

"Riley made sure everything I got coordinated with what she planned for you."

"Except for the hat…" she gave him a dry look, "Which ruined it."

"Actually, the hat's for you." He took it off his head, handing it to her. "You missed all the festivities today. I wanted you to have something to remember senior year homecoming by."

She stared at the hat in her hands for a few seconds, honestly surprised that he had thought of her. Maya looked up and smiled, tempted to give him a hug but forcing herself to stay still.

"You didn't have to do that for me." she said, putting it through the open window onto the bay window sill. She would find a proper place for it when she got back.

"It's really nothing." He replied, taking her hand and tugging her towards the stairs. "But we should get going soon. We're kind of running late, and we still have to pick up Farkle and his date."

She nodded, falling into step beside him as they hurried down the stairs. She tried not to think about how comfortable her hand felt in his.

~.~.~

"Alright, guys. Let's move on."

The clapping died down when the MC for the evening—some wisecracking freshman who Maya couldn't remember the name of—lifted his hand to quiet down the cheers as Missy Bradford walked away from center stage and went to stand next to the other two candidates for Homecoming Queen.

After about two hours of chatting, dancing, and partying, the students were all huddled and clumped in front of the stage in the gym, watching as the MC introduced all the king and queen candidates and the princes and princesses in the other classes. It was crowded and a little bit difficult to see past some of the taller girls' and guys' heads, but Maya could see if she craned her neck every once in a while. Though the air _was_ a little stale from the mass of bodies with BO, and Maya knew she had to be careful not to inhale too sharply otherwise she had a feeling she'd be upchucking everything in her stomach.

Riley leaned down next to her, "You feeling okay, Maya? Your lips are puckered."

"I'll be fine, Riles. It's nothing."

The MC flipped the page in his little packet.

"Alright guys! So our final candidate for Homecoming King is someone I'm sure _everyone_ here knows. If not everyone, I'm sure every damn girl in this school. He's our charming, southern country gentleman with absolutely ravishing hair. And guess what ladies? This guy is…wait for it… _single_! If you're wondering why this handsome devil is unattached… keep guessing. We're also wondering the same thing."

The crowd started laughing.

"Our candidate is captain of our football team, and he enjoys long walks in the countryside, fishing with his family, and taking care of the animals on his grandfather's farm. He aspires to be a vet in the future and when asked why, he said when he was young, he saw an injured cow in the road. It had apparently been hit by someone and left to die. He wants to be a vet in order to help relieve the suffering of animals because they feel pain like humans and if he can do anything to alleviate that pain, he will."

The crowd—mostly girls—awwed.

"I know right? Isn't he so _dreamy_?" the MC continued, sighing wistfully, "This candidate claims he's just a normal guy who loves hanging out and chilling with his friends, volunteering at the animal shelter, and playing football and baseball. But we all know that's not true. I mean, who the hell is _that_ good-looking?"

The students laughed again, whooping at the comment.

"When asked what he is attracted to in a woman, he said confidence and fierce independence. Someone who is unwaveringly caring and compassionate about others. Someone who doesn't let her past or difficulties in life be an obstacle towards her goals. Someone who charges recklessly in headfirst and doesn't let failures get in her way."

"I could be the girl for him!" some girl hollered from the crowd.

People laughed and the MC rolled his eyes, expecting some kind of response of the sort.

"Now ladies, before you get in an excited frenzy thinking he's talking about any one of you, while he did mention that he _is_ single, he also said he's working on changing that status with someone, though he didn't tell me who it was. You see, our esteemed candidate also mentioned that there's a girl he's into but it's been a difficult road, and he hasn't made much progress."

There was a resounding bunch of groans from a lot of the people in the crowd after that, and Maya rolled her eyes. People got so stupid about their crushes on Lucas. So what he was attractive? He was still a damn Huckleberry.

Riley nudged Maya, giving her alarmed raised brows.

"Hey, are you listening to any of this, Maya?"

"Not really… We all know it's Lucas. Does he have to talk for ages just to introduce the candidates?"

"Maya, apparently Lucas is trying to get someone to be his girlfriend. He hasn't told any of us this."

Maya's eyebrows furrowed. "Yes, I heard that part."

And she was trying very hard not to think about it.

"How come he hasn't told any of us about this girl he's into! Who is she?! Don't you want to know?"

Maya didn't. But there would obviously be a lot of problems involved if he tried to keep a steady girlfriend and raise Jellybean with Maya. Not to mention, he would eventually have to tell this girl that he had knocked Maya up in the first place.

Riley leaned forward and poked Farkle in the shoulder, "Hey, do you know who Lucas is trying to get with?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, it wouldn't be my secret to tell."

Riley scowled at him, "C'mon Farkle."

"No way. He told me in complete confidence. I'm not going to shatter his trust."

Riley pouted and straightened back up, crossing her arms over her chest.

The MC continued once a lot of the noise had died down.

"Upon asking several students of the school what the perfect end to a date with him would be, a vast, _vast_ majority had responses that I can't read out loud, because I'll probably get suspended, but some of the more _appropriate_ answers ranged from sharing a kiss at the top of Empire State to cuddling on the couch.

"This reformed bad boy is _dangerous_. Don't look directly into his gorgeous, sparkling emerald eyes because you might be in danger of falling in love, if you haven't already."

Then he tucked the paper into his jacket.

"It is my pleasure to introduce to you our final candidate for king this evening. He's tall, he's tanned, he's Mr. Perfect himself. The hottie cowboy from Texas, the one and only, Lucas Friar."

Lucas climbed the stairs of the stage on the right, waving as people cheered and clapped in the crowd. Maya would be lying if she said she didn't feel a fluttering in her stomach. Sure, she'd seen him all night, but standing on that stage, it wasn't hard to see why some girls were obsessed with him. He looked like a man. A tall, broad-shouldered, well-coiffed man with an incredibly sexy smile.

Unbelievably attractive.

He stood next to the other candidates for king, waiting for the procession to continue once all the people quieted down. Maya smirked. To anyone else, he looked like the model student he was, standing straight and tall. But Maya could tell he looked a little bored and kind of uncomfortable. She snickered to herself. Even when he was being Prince Charming, he was still such a Huckleberry. Or maybe she could just read him so well after years of knowing him. His eyes skimmed the crowd as people wolf-whistled the candidates and catcalled and said some pretty lewd things in general in the anonymity of the crowd of students.

And then his gaze landed on her, and she threw him the finger with a grin. She saw Lucas try to stifle his smile, shaking his head in amusement at her antics.

And then Riley gasped beside her.

Maya broke their gaze and looked at her best friend in alarm. "What's wrong?"

"I figured it out!"

"Figured what out?"

Riley shook her head, smiling widely and giggling excitedly to herself.

"Riley? You gonna be okay sweetheart?"

"What? Oh yeah. More than okay. This is perfect!"

Maya frowned in confusion at her sudden outburst and turned back to face the front as the MC had announced the winners of the vote.

Missy had won for queen. And Lucas had won for king.

Surprise, surprise.

They were crowned and sashed by the president of the student council, and then Lucas and Missy made their way off the stage and back to the dance floor to share the short king/queen dance. They honestly looked a little weirded out and awkward. It was pretty funny to Maya, who knew that neither of them were particularly fond of the other. But the crowd was definitely eating it up and throwing around inappropriate comments and just being typical annoying high schoolers in general.

Halfway through the king/queen dance, the chosen royalty were allowed to switch partners and finish the dance with whomever they wanted. Maya had been chatting with Riley, Steven, Farkle, and his date—some adorable girl who was in the robotics club—about possibly finding a 24 hour diner to stop by later. She was still pretty hungry and even though Lucas had given her half of his dinner, it hadn't sufficed. And then Riley gasped dramatically after facing the front, and Maya finally noticed that Lucas was walking over to them.

"What?" she said a little anxiously when he stopped in front of her with a smile.

"Dance with me."

"You serious Huckleberry?" she snarked, trying not to let her trepidation show on her face, "Of all the girls you could dance with, you decide to go with the one who will probably step on your toes for fun?"

"I'd rather have you."

And her mouth snapped shut in slight shock. Maybe it was the wording of the sentence, maybe it was the way he had said it all softly and intimately like those words had been meant for her ears and her ears alone, but Maya felt an uncomfortable fluttering in her stomach. She stared up at him, the nervous butterflies slowly increasing with each passing second that he held out his hand.

And she would have kept right on staring at him in shock had Riley not nonchalantly shoved her forward with a subtle push to her bum. Maya stumbled forward into Lucas' waiting arms and glared at Riley in alarm over her shoulder. Her traitor best friend just smiled and waved, innocently cuddling against Steven. Maya looked up at Lucas who was just watching her expectantly, and she finally sighed in defeat and let him walk her to the center of the floor where Missy and Billy were also sharing their dance. A resounding chorus of disappointed groans went through the air and Maya was tempted to turn around and leave. She hated being in the spotlight.

But when she glanced up at Lucas' face, he looked content and unbelievably happy, like he'd waited for so many years for a moment like this or something. He was watching her like she had hung the moon, and Maya's heart started to beat impossibly fast. Her hands were getting clammy.

She knew this feeling pretty well. It was the same one that always scared her so badly. The exact reason she tried to put distance between them in the first place after they slept together.

She took in a deep breath when his gaze turned affectionate, and he smiled at her, that sweet smile that always made her stomach flip violently. Kind of like it was doing now.

"What's on your mind?" he asked, interlocking his arms behind her lower back and holding her a little closer to him as they rocked side by side.

Maya opened her mouth, not entirely sure what she was about to say when a flash of heat suddenly washed over her. And with it, a wave of nausea. She stiffened, because her stomach was fluttering uncomfortably again. And then Maya finally realized what it was. It wasn't an 'oh-shit-I'm-really-attracted-to-him' fluttering, but an 'oh-shit-I'm-about-to-fucking-toss-my-cookies' fluttering. Sure enough, a few seconds later, her stomach lurched, and she stopped moving completely, sliding her hands down to his chest and pushing slightly away from him.

She needed to get out of his arms. And now.

"I'm gonna throw up…"

Lucas frowned momentarily, looking a little confused and loosening his grip for half a second before he rose a teasing brow.

"Because of me? Well I'm sorry I make you sick." He said sarcastically.

"_No_ Lucas. I'm gonna _hurl_!"

And then she forcibly broke away from him and quickly covered her mouth, doubling over when her stomach heaved, and she felt the vomit rising in her throat. The people on the floor around them looked at the brewing turmoil in shock, and Maya spun on her heel, racing out of the gym and through the hallways toward the nearby locker room.

There was a couple heavily making out against the sinks, but Maya ran straight past them into a stall and threw her guts up into the toilet. She coughed and heaved some more, bits of mashed up shrimp visible among the bile. She breathed heavily for a couple seconds, gripping the bowl, and then she heard the clicking of heels hurrying behind her.

"Hey, get out of here!" Riley yelled at the people.

Maya looked over her shoulder as the couple left with confused and somewhat scared looks on their faces. Farkle and Lucas were behind Riley, eyebrows raised in concern. Riley rushed over to Maya, gathering her hair behind her and holding her up as she started another bout of retching into the toilet.

Maya groaned. This felt worse than anything she had ever experienced since she found out she was pregnant. Was this even morning sickness?

"Maya…" Lucas asked in concern, "Are you okay?"

She spit out something lodged in her throat and then took a few deep breaths, her eyes watering from the pain of emptying her stomach. "I don't think that shrimp from dinner agreed with me…"

Farkle frowned. "Why did you get shrimp? Seafood can make morning sickness during pregnancies infinitely worse."

Maya, Riley, and Lucas all snapped their heads to Farkle in shock, blinking at him in surprise.

"How did you…"

"Know you were pregnant?" Farkle shrugged. "I'm not oblivious Maya."

Riley helped her straighten once she no longer felt like hurling, and she moved to the sink to clean herself up. She caught a brief glance of herself in the mirror and realized she looked almost rabid with the vomit dripping from her mouth like that. She rinsed off her face and rinsed out her mouth, filling her mouth with water and spitting it out to get out the excess bits.

"What gave it away?" she asked, splashing her face with water.

"I had my suspicions a while ago when you would skip lunch and run straight to the bathroom and called it a stomach bug." He pointed out. "Then came Riley's never ending peppermints and your sudden obsession with ketchup on food and after that it wasn't rocket science to put two and two together."

Maya wiped her face with a paper towel, thanking Riley when she procured a peppermint from her clutch. She gratefully popped it in her mouth, sucking on it and loving the relief she felt from it.

He winced. "I think pretty much the whole school knows you're pregnant too. Especially after that little show."

Maya groaned. "That obvious?"

It wasn't that she particularly cared about the people at school finding out. It was just that she wasn't interested in having everyone know her business.

"The whole vomit at the sight of food thing gave you away, I think." Farkle nodded in Lucas' direction. "By deductive reasoning, I'm assuming you're the father, Lucas?"

They both glanced at each other and then blushed, looking at spots on the ground.

Lucas rubbed his neck uncomfortably, "Yeah."

Farkle smiled, raising a brow. "Well… That's intriguing."

"Why didn't you ask for confirmation when you found out?" Maya asked curiously.

"I figured you would tell me when the time was right for you."

"That's… sweet." She smiled, "Thanks for being supportive."

"You know I'll always support you Maya. You're my friend."

"Farkle, you're the best." She wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him a tight hug. She felt like crying in relief. Knowing that her friends supported her even through all of her fuckups didn't make up for her mom abandoning her, but it sure as hell helped to heal some of that wound. She felt like crying.

_Damn Bean… you're making me emotional as fuck…_

"So I've been told multiple times." Farkle responded, faux arrogantly.

"You're a good friend." She said, looking him seriously in the eye. "Honestly, thank you."

"If you have a son, you should consider naming him Farkle." He chirped, "I think that suffices as compensation."

"I'll think about it…" Maya said, rolling her eyes good naturedly.

Riley gasped, affronted. "No way! I have naming rights to Jellybean. _I'm_ the godmother!"

She and Farkle started debating who deserved to name the baby more, and Maya went over to Lucas, grimacing slightly when her stomach tugged uncomfortably with the motion.

"You want to go home?" he guessed when he saw her expression.

"Yeah. Sorry Sundance… I'm just not in it anymore."

"I don't mind." Lucas smiled. "I'll take you home."

"You coming too, Riles? Or nah?"

Maya turned around to face Riley and then frowned when she realized Farkle and Riley had stopped discussing the name issue and were watching the two of them with these little secretive smiles on their lips. It unnerved Maya to see them with that identical look on their faces. Why were they looking at them like that?

"You know what, you guys go on ahead." Riley said softly, "I'll catch a ride home with Steven later."

"You sure? Your dad will get pretty mad at you."

"He'll get over it." Riley gave Maya a tight hug, rubbing her back gently before holding her at arm's length. "Call me if you need me home. I'll come as soon as possible."

"Okay. I'll see you guys later."

She and Lucas left the bathroom and headed to the parking lot to his car. He took off his jacket and dropped it around her shoulders when a gust of cold air hit them and shivers wracked her body.

"Here."

Maya smiled up at him, still feeling a tad bit nervous for some reason. "Thanks."

He helped her get into his truck and then they went on their way back to the Matthews' apartment. Maya removed the pinchy heels with a low moan, massaging her aching toes. They didn't converse much, as Lucas was focusing on paying attention to the crazy roads, and Maya occupied the silences with twiddling the radio knob, randomly changing stations until she could find something that didn't make her want to yank out her eardrums. When they pulled up on Riley's street, he parked about five cars down from the complex and Maya frowned.

"You're cutting it a little close there Ranger Rick. If Cory sees you, you're screwed."

"It's fine." He smiled as he got out of the truck, "I don't think it'd be a good idea for you to try to climb the fire escape in your condition."

He walked around the front and opened the passenger door, taking her hand and helping her down carefully. She held Topanga's shoes in her other hand, and they walked down the sidewalk together, their gaits slow and relaxed. Lucas nonchalantly slipped his fingers in between hers. His hand was warm and his touch soothing. Her hand fit perfectly in his, and she couldn't help but smile.

"Thanks for this." Maya said, "It's been a pretty hectic week, but this kind of helped."

"I bet, what with the whole getting kicked out thing." He said, giving her hand a light squeeze, "I'm glad you came out tonight though."

"Have you told your mother yet? About the baby."

Lucas grimaced, "Not exactly yet…"

"I thought you said you were going to." she said quietly, a sick feeling growing in her stomach.

He ran his free hand through his hair, "I can't. My dad's been here this past week. And I don't want him to know."

Maya felt irritation suddenly hit, and she yanked her hand out of his, stopping and glaring at him.

"Why not?" she menaced, "Because you're ashamed of me? You're ashamed that you're having a kid?"

"What?" he said, completely confused by her sudden anger, "Maya, what the hell? You can't keep getting mad and jumping to conclusions whenever I say something."

"And why the hell not?! You keep saying shit that makes me think you want nothing to do with this at all!" She could feel tears prickling in the back of her eyes, and she mentally berated herself for getting so easily emotional all the time. Damn these fucking hormones.

"Maya listen."

Lucas tugged on her wrist and pulled her so she was facing him. He held her face in his hands, forcing her to keep his earnest gaze.

"How many times do I have to tell you we're in this together no matter what? That hasn't changed. That never will change, okay?"

She held his gaze, nodding slightly.

"The reason I don't want my dad to know is because he's an asshole. If he finds out you're pregnant, he'll want to meet you. And I don't want that."

"Why?" she whispered, a little disturbed by the anxious look in Lucas' eyes.

"Let's just say my dad's reaction to Jellybean probably would make your mom's look incredibly tame." He dropped his hands from her face and took her hand again, "Just trust me, okay. I'm not ashamed of you. And I will tell my mom. Just not until my dad's out of the way."

"Okay."

"We good?"

"Yeah."

They continued their labourious walk to the Matthews' complex, hands slightly swaying with each of their steps. She was happy that she had more confirmation that he was really in this all the way, but Maya couldn't help but still be a little conflicted by something. Namely, a certain girl Lucas was apparently trying to get with.

"So are you going to tell her about the baby too?"

Lucas glanced down at her in confusion, "Who?"

"You know. That girl the MC was telling us about." Maya tried to sound nonchalant, but she wasn't sure her voice hadn't come out with an edge. "The one you're trying to get with."

And then Lucas' lips curved into a small, secretive smile, and he let out a little snort.

"Not an issue." he said airily, the smile still not leaving his face.

"What?" Maya frowned, "Is she still even going to want to be with you when she finds out you have a baby on the way?"

"Well, first off, I don't even think she knows I like her." He said cryptically, "Nothing further is going to happen until she picks up on that."

"Then why don't you just tell her and get it out of the way?" Maya said crossly, not liking the way this conversation had turned.

They stopped in front of the complex, and Lucas turned to face her with a sigh. She looked up, and found he was watching her with an indecipherable look in his eyes. Her heart skipped a beat when he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and lightly traced her chin with his knuckle.

"Because I already told her. And she wasn't ready…"

Something in his expression told her that deep down, she knew exactly what he was talking about. She swallowed thickly, her nerves growing as he smiled softly.

"So I'll wait." he slowly lifted up her chin, "I'll wait for her to finally notice me."

Then he gently kissed her forehead, and Maya's breath caught and her neck erupted into goosebumps.

"Goodnight Shortstack." he whispered when he pulled away, the expression in his eyes warm and affectionate.

She opened her mouth to respond when suddenly, the complex door burst open and Cory hopped out, his eyes looking crazed. He had a whisk dripping with batter in his hand and was pointing it menacingly at Lucas.

"I knew it!" he shouted, "Get away from my daughter, you delinquent!"

Lucas gave her an apologetic smile before spinning around and running back down the sidewalk and away from the raging older man. Cory chased after him, yelling G rated profanities and threatening R rated things he would do to Lucas if he caught him around Maya again.

Maya bit her lip, trying to keep her smile from overtaking her face and headed inside the door to go back to the apartment. When she walked inside, Topanga was watching the chase through the window. She turned around to Maya with a smile.

"You're home early."

"I threw up in the middle of the dance so Lucas took me home."

Topanga winced, "Morning sickness again?"

"Bad shrimp, actually."

"You had shrimp? You're lucky you didn't throw up your intestines as well."

"Yeah. I think that's the last time I'll ever eat seafood for a while."

"Good call." Topanga walked over and gently placed her hand on her forehead, "Your face is really red. You okay?"

"Just a little tired." Maya lied, knowing she was still very flustered from the feel of Lucas' lips on her forehead. "I think I'm gonna go turn in early."

"Okay. Let me know if you need anything."

Maya headed into Riley's room and plopped on her bed, hugging Lucas' jacket around her. She was surrounded by his scent and her heart hammered in her chest as she inhaled deeply. If she closed her eyes and let her thoughts drift away, she could just pretend that he was spooning her, holding her gently in his warm embrace. Just like that morning after…

_Crap. This isn't good…_

And suddenly she knew.

She knew exactly why her pulse wouldn't stop racing and why she wanted to laugh into her pillow and cry every time she thought about him and why she couldn't get his stupid sexy smile and gorgeous eyes out of her mind.

She'd been pushing away those thought since the beginning of the school year, but whenever she was with him, it was getting harder to pretend those feelings didn't exist. Even after the whole screw up of their relationship. Even after all this crap they'd been through to become close friends again.

She rolled over onto her stomach and groaned into Riley's pillow.

She _liked_ Lucas.

A lot.

An almost uncontrollable amount.

"_Fuuuuuuuuuu_…"


	10. Chapter 10

**Lucayaabb: When are you going to make an account so I can thank you personally? :3  
**

**In fact, when are all of you guests/anons going to make an account so I can thank you personally :) You guys are all so sweet.**

**A/N: Alright! I'm getting back into the groove of this story now! Don't forget this is an AU.  
**

**Thank you for all the reviews everyone! I love them all and I really appreciate the time you all take to review this story! Thanks to you, I can have the courage to write more each day! I hope you all have wonderful days :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own GMW, but Lucaya is bae.**

* * *

_Lucas stumbled backwards drunkenly towards her room, laughing and trying to kiss Maya at the same time. She walked him backwards down the hall towards the entrance to her room, and he caught her wrists, dipping his head down again and capturing her lips in a mind-numbing kiss. _

_He tripped on her carpet and then ran into her lamp, knocking it over with a clatter before it rolled across the ground. Maya giggled before hooking an arm around his neck and kissing him again. She fumbled with the button of his pants as he tugged on her belt loops, yanking her closer to him. As she tried to tug them down, Lucas lost his balance. He tumbled back and landed on her bed with a grunt, bringing her down on top of him._

_"Shit…" Lucas said, chuckling lightly when they landed haphazardly, their motions somewhat lagging from the alcohol coursing through their veins._

_Maya straddled him and settled on his groin, bending down and sucking on his neck as she slowly unbuttoned his shirt, eliciting a groan from him. She ground against him as he gripped her hips, sighing at the intense heat she felt from his arousal pressing against her._

_She sat up and tugged her top up and over her head, snorting slightly when her hair got caught in the tangled shirt. Her lack of coordination made it really hard to figure out how to get it off, but when she finally succeeded, she tossed it carelessly behind her and set her hands on his chest, rolling her hips slowly forward against him. She glanced down at Lucas, who had fallen silent and was watching her in wonder, his gaze holding something that made Maya's pulse quicken._

_"You're beautiful…" he murmured, looking up at her in amazement._

_Maya could feel her face flush at his unwavering gaze. He was making her feel like she was laid entirely bare before him. _

_"Lucas…"_

_He rolled them over, hovering above her, his thumb softly caressing her waist. Lucas lowered his head and kissed her slowly, and Maya almost whimpered, taken aback by how tender and sweet it was. He pulled away and cradled her face in his hand. Maya met his gaze, her breath catching when his eyes took on that expression that always scared Maya whenever she would see it. That look of longing like she was his whole world._

_"Maya…" he said, watching her seriously, "I like–" _

_And Maya quickly placed a finger against his lips, a bit frightened by the words that she was sure were about to escape his mouth. Because whatever he was about to say, she was sure, wasn't going to be true when he woke up. When they were no longer in their drunken haze and his mind was no longer clouded by lust, he would regret his words. And she didn't want to hear or see that regret._

_"Shhh…" she breathed out, hooking her legs around his waist. "Just kiss me…"_

_Lucas searched her eyes for a moment before finally nodding._

_He kissed her again, slow and deep and intoxicating. Maya slid her arms up around his neck, losing herself in his warmth._

* * *

Maya closed her locker shut after grabbing her sketchbook and her special set of paint brushes and stuffing inside her notebooks and her textbooks for classes. It had been a while since she worked on some of her pieces. She planned to take these several after school hours to stay behind in the art room to work on some of her bigger pieces to get at least one more done. She was behind on her schedule. Farkle sauntered up to her on his way to robotics club, waving in greeting.

"So. How was your appointment yesterday? Everything good?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Who's asking? You or Ranger Rick?"

Farkle put his hands up, grinning sheepishly. "Okay, so it's Lucas. But only because you won't let him come to your appointments."

Lucas had insisted on coming with her, but Maya had refused to let him. She honestly didn't know if she would feel comfortable with him in the room as they went through the ultrasound. She just felt weird about anyone being there overall since each visit got her so emotional. The only person Maya ever allowed to come with her was Riley.

"Tell him everything is fine."

"Well I'm going to need more details than that otherwise he'll stay on my tail." Farkle smiled, pointing to the slight protrusion of her abdomen, seen easily through her shirt. "Your baby bump is coming in pretty early though. You just about started your second trimester, didn't you?"

"Have you been charting my pregnancy?" Maya said, unsure if she was angry, impressed, or kind of scared. Maybe all three.

"Since October."

"You're one scary kid…" Maya snorted, "And yeah. Dr. Torres told me it's because I'm petite. But my weight gain is pretty normal."

"How much have you gained?" Farkle asked, pulling out a notepad from the side pocket of his bag and a pencil from behind his ear. He flipped open to a page and scribbled some notes it. "If my calculations are correct, you should have gained just about five to six pounds by now. Maybe seven since you lost some of your starting weight due to all the puking."

Oh yeah. She should definitely be scared.

"Farkle, that's creepy."

"Hey. I'm Lucas' informant. It's my job to keep all tabs on you. Including the nitty gritty stuff." He flipped to another page.

Maya sighed, turning on her heel.

"Your cravings seem to be the same. Still nasty ketchup." Farkle continued, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as they walked towards the art room. "Do you make sure to drink plenty of fluids? Are you eating right? How much are you urinating on a day to day basis? Have you been doing exercises?"

"Farkle, we're done here."

He laughed out loud, and she playfully punched his side.

A couple of girls walked by the two of them, leaning into each other and whispering as they stared before starting to giggle. Maya rolled her eyes. It'd been a few weeks since the Homecoming vomit disaster. Farkle hadn't been wrong. By now, rumours of her pregnancy had completely circulated, and it was pretty much the only thing students would talk about. Pretty much everyone thought she was pregnant. Which honestly, was true. So it didn't bother her that much. There were some people who would whisper in the hallways as she walked by and a couple would throw her vengefully disgusted looks, but she would ignore them. Riley would glare back on occasion, but Maya had told her it wasn't worth it. But for the most part, people were tame or just didn't care. She wasn't the first girl to have gotten pregnant at their high school. She _was_ the first one who hadn't gotten an abortion, but pregnancies weren't totally uncommon.

"Don't let it get to you." Farkle scoffed. "Those sophomores are just obnoxious."

"I'm not worried about it. The only opinions that matter to me are those of the people I actually give a shit about." She patted the hand dangling off her shoulder. "But they are obnoxious. I hope we weren't like that when we were sophomores."

"I know _I_ wasn't." he said, as they stopped in front of the art room, "But I can't say the same for you and Riley."

She ducked out from under his arm with a roll of her eyes. That was such a lie. He had most definitely been the most obnoxious of them all.

"_Bye_, Farkle. Go to your club."

"Text me if you feel like you're going to puke." he called out as he raced on down the hall.

She chuckled in amusement before opening the room and walking to her station towards the back. There was one other senior in the room who waved at her as she was cleaning off her brushes and palette.

Maya loved the art room. Her home away from home and the only place she felt was a complete safe haven (aside from Riley's room). No one cared about anyone's personal business and lives and they were always chill. As long as you cared about art, you belonged. The paint fumes and smell of charcoal and graphite and other art materials were pretty strong in the air, but they weren't too rough or difficult on her nose. It was comforting.

"Have you started your end of the semester project?" Dana asked, taking out an earphone temporarily. "It's due by the end of next week."

"Shoot…" Maya groaned. "I forgot we usually have one of those."

"It's okay." She responded, "Ms. Kossal told us all the week you missed school. I think it was homecoming week?"

"Yeah." Maya flipped over the tarp on her half-finished piece and revealed her canvas. "What's the project? Are there any specific parameters for the piece?"

"It's to draw someone we care about. It's pretty easy. No restrictions to size. Oil pastel only." Dana put away her supplies and flipped her tarp back over her dried painting before gathering her stuff. "She knows most of us have senioritis so she didn't really want to assign anything too intense. And also because we're still focusing on our art show pieces."

"Thanks. I would have been so screwed." Maya said gratefully, pulling a stool over to her easel. "I'll start on it today."

Dana smiled as she left the room. "Good luck Maya."

Maya picked up her palette and squirted some blue to continue with the base layer of her background for the sunset. She would figure out who to paint after she got some of this done.

~.~.~

Maya carefully smudged the last bit of orange and purple with her sponge, before sitting back to scrutinize her work. It was really coming along nicely. She'd made it with the predominant colour being blue and had thrown in some orange and yellow to really get that sunset feel, but she'd been worried it would be overdone. The rest of the piece (once she figured out what it would be) wasn't supposed to be overtaken by the background, but from what it looked like, it didn't seem like it would be a problem.

With a pleased sigh and smile, she checked the clock behind her. It was almost seven. She'd been there for a pretty long time and hadn't realized how time had flown.

"I guess now I should work on the project."

She walked over to the window to get some fresh air. She pulled up the blinds and pushed open the window, taking a deep breath. She heard a whistle blowing and looked down at the football team practicing on the field. The art room faced the back of their high school in the direction of their track and football practice field.

Her eyes found Lucas, and she leaned against the window sill, a small smile on her face as she watched him practice. The coach blew his whistle and another receiver ran out to the distance as Lucas set himself. He reared his hand back and threw the football towards his teammate. It sailed through the air, controlled and spiraling in a nice arch to the other guy who caught it. When the guy came jogging back, he and Lucas chest bumped, and Maya snickered to herself.

He was honestly just so cute, and she felt stupid for basically having become one of his "fangirls" now, but she couldn't deny that she felt like squealing every time he looked at her or held her hand or leaned over to whisper playfully in her ear during bio. Her crush on him was pretty intense, but there was no way she would ever tell him though. It was one thing for her to tie him down because of a baby, but it was another thing to burden him with her feelings.

Lucas was one of her best friends. She hadn't scared him away with her pregnancy, but she sure as hell wasn't going to let him get scared away by the fact that she had feelings for him. Besides, she'd already ended anything that might have been lingering between them. He probably felt nothing but friendship for her. And she wasn't going to jeopardize that. She could hold her feelings to herself.

But seeing him had given her inspiration, and she rushed back to her station and grabbed her sketchbook, mentally recalling Lucas' form and the lines of his body as he had thrown the football. She quickly sketched out what she intended to put to the canvas. Under normal circumstances, she would have been embarrassed drawing out the guy she had a crush on, but he wasn't going to be seeing this piece, so this would be her little secret. When she was satisfied with the sketch, she tore it out of the book and grabbed a new canvas from the box. She tacked the sketch onto the canvas and then stuck it in her in-progress cubby hole.

Technically, she knew she should have started on it at that day, but it was getting late and she was pretty hungry, if her grumbling stomach was any indication. It wouldn't do to stay the entire evening without getting something in her stomach. And even though Cory and Topanga hadn't imposed a curfew upon her, Maya knew they would get anxious if she was out pretty late, so she made an effort to try to come home by a certain time on days she stayed to paint.

Maya cleaned up her station and the mess she made, scrubbing paint off of her brushes and meticulously washing her hands to get it off her hands. Once she had made sure everything was cleaned up and her piece and all the materials she used were stored in their proper places, she shut the window and the blinds, grabbed her bag, and left the art room.

Her stomach growled in distress once again, and Maya rounded over toward the gym to stop by the vending machine. She would grab a snack to last for the walk home. It was the reason Riley had given her a bunch of money before she left the day before. Normally, Riley would buy Maya snacks that she would keep stored in her bag and walk with her home, but Riley was checking out her parents' alma mater with Cory in Pennsylvania that weekend, so she wasn't available. Occasionally, Lucas would join them to study for their upcoming exams, though he wasn't available that day either.

(Cory had finally come to terms with Lucas' involvement and gotten over the fact that she was pregnant. But Lucas was still wary coming to the Matthews' and only generally came over when Cory wasn't home. And even then, he kept one eye firmly on the door at all times.)

She spotted the vending machine—how could she not? It was obnoxiously decorated with red holiday streamers and snowman stickers—and quickly browsed the contents before settling on a pack of powdery donuts calling her name. And luckily, she had a whole brown bag in her bookbag filled with mini ketchup packets she had been storing for snacking emergencies. She slipped the dollar into the machine and pushed the button for the pack. It tumbled out of its ring and fell to the bottom. Maya crouched to pick it up and grab her change and then she heard footsteps behind her.

"Oh wow… You really _have_ gained weight."

"So the rumours have been true. Little Miss Street Trash really is a knocked up little bitch."

Maya turned around with an eyebrow raised. She knew she'd put on some weight since Homecoming, and she had a small baby bump, but she was definitely not anywhere near a _balloon_.

It was two annoying girls, watching her with dirty looks. They looked like freshman, maybe sophomores, and Maya could just see the immaturity radiating off of them in waves. Man, she really hoped she wasn't like that when she was in early high school. She sighed and opened her pack of donuts before rummaging in her bag and pulling out a packet of ketchup.

"What, you jealous?" Maya snorted, already having expected some verbal abuse for her pregnancy like this eventually. Kids at her school were ridiculous. She was actually pretty surprised it had taken this long for someone to pounce.

"Look at you. You're so annoying." One of the girls spat.

"Okay. I don't really have time for this." Maya said, opening the ketchup and smearing some on a donut before popping it in her mouth, "So why don't you tell me what's really bothering you, and we can get this whole 'I hate Maya Hart' party out of the way."

"I'm talking about the way you cling to Lucas like a tick. Let him live his life and stop dragging him down to take care of your sorry pregnant ass."

Maya felt pinpricks of irritation. Although she wasn't particularly bothered by the pettiness of the students, if there was one thing that annoyed her, it was people acting as if she wasn't good enough to be Lucas' friend. It was, unfortunately, territory that came with being his friend and usually it didn't irritate her, but every once in a while there were moments when it really ticked her off.

Lucas had wanted to reveal he was the father so everyone would stop harassing her, since people generally listened to Lucas, but she'd firmly told him no and that she didn't want people to know he was the father. He'd gotten a little irritated with that, but it wasn't because she didn't _want_ Lucas to be the father. As morbid as it sounded, if she could have gotten pregnant at seventeen with anyone, she would have always picked Lucas Friar. She wanted no one to know because Lucas had a reputation as a responsible leader at their school. She didn't want to jeopardize that.

"I suppose now you're going to threaten me to stay away from him and then if I don't comply, you'll gather your crony of girls and jump me after school one day?" Maya said with a smirk, licking her fingers of the delicious sugary powder. The ketchup added a really nice salty touch. "But you won't actually go through with it because you're too scared Lucas will be mad at you."

One girl's eyes narrowed. "You think we're afraid to kick your ass? I don't care if Lucas hates us, I just want you gone."

There was the sound of a door opening and closing and then Missy Bradford came out from around the corner, her heels clicking briskly on the tiles of the school. The girls fell quiet for a few moments, watching as Missy walked by them. For a second, her gaze connected with Maya's, but she continued right on by without an expression, ignoring the fact that Maya was very obviously getting harassed. Figured. Why the hell would Missy care? She'd never been Maya's friend.

"Really? So what are you going to do? Frame me for theft so I get suspended? Or what, bring a razor to school?" Maya popped another ketchup covered donut in her mouth. "You're so generic."

"No. But my mom's on the school board." One of the girls sneered. "And she donates a lot of money to this school. I can convince her to get the board of trustees to kick you out. After all, a pregnant student roaming the halls of our school can't be good for our school image."

And Maya's eyes narrowed, her irritation mounting. She had the really bad urge to attack the two of them. She may have been pregnant but she was not incapable of beating some ass if she needed to.

"And I'm sure you haven't done anything for this school that would make them want to keep you."

"And you think all of that and getting me kicked out will make Lucas stop talking to me?"

Joke was on them. He was the father of her baby.

"No, but at least we won't have to watch your disgusting clinging to him."

These girls were really starting to piss her off. What was it with people and acting like crazy nuts whenever Lucas was involved? And were they completely empty headed? Did they just _choose_ not to see the fact that Lucas approached _her_. The fact that he asked _her_ to Homecoming. The fact that he sought _her_ out in the halls after his classes? They were _mutual_ friends. It wasn't like she had brainwashed him to hang out with her.

"You both need to get a life." Maya said around a mouthful of donut.

"And you need to get away from Lucas." The other retorted.

"Is there a problem here?"

And Maya swung her head around in shock because standing at the end of the hall was Lucas in his full uniform, looking sweaty and out of breath. His hair was sticking up in some places as if he had ripped off his helmet and raced over as soon as possible.

"Lucas!" one of them tittered, "There's no problem at all."

"So why are you cornering Maya?" he asked, an eyebrow raised in annoyance. Maya could see the irritation rolling off of him in waves.

"We weren't. We were having a friendly chat."

"Maya?" he addressed her.

Maya averted her gaze, staring at the half eaten packet of donuts in her hand. This was her problem, not his.

"It's nothing, Sundance."

His face dropped, and he stalked over to them, his expression pretty unhappy. He stepped in between Maya and the two girls.

"You know, I've been impossibly patient with all of you giving Maya dirty looks and treating her like she's less than a human being since Homecoming."

"Lucas, we weren't doing anything. Just knocking her down a peg."

It was clearly the wrong thing to say. His expression turned cold.

"Knocking her down a peg?" he scoffed mirthlessly, "You girls will stop at nothing to make you feel better about yourselves."

They blinked, stupefied and a little put off by his words.

"You better tell all your friends to leave Maya the hell alone." Lucas said, his tone low and dangerous. "Because that's _my_ kid in her. And I swear if anyone hurts her, I will hunt you down."

The two girls both gasped and their eyes widened not only at what he had just revealed but also because of the little threat he'd thrown in there. They turned on their heels and scampered off away from the two of them. Lucas watched them go before he turned around and faced Maya, concern in his gaze. It was almost a complete 180 from before that Maya grew surprised with how easily he was able to switch his anger on and off.

"Did they hurt you?" Lucas asked softly.

"You didn't have to go that far." Maya rolled her eyes, sticking the pack of donuts in her bag for later. "They were just being annoying."

"Yes I did! I don't know why I didn't just tell everyone from the start. It would have saved you the trouble."

"It's not like I'm bothered by it. It's not that big a deal."

"Maya." He said in exasperation. "It's a big deal to me, okay? They have no idea what you're dealing with and it's not right. You don't deserve any harassment."

"But you just made things worse for yourself. You know everyone's going to know that you're the father now?"

"I don't care. They should have known since they found out about your pregnancy. They wouldn't have messed with you if they knew."

Maya sighed and ran her hand through her hair in exasperation. "Look, they honestly wouldn't have done anything. Those girls are all bark and no bite. Why are you so fucked up over this?"

"Dammit Maya, I was scared! I thought you'd been hurt."

"I'm fine, as you can clearly see."

"I know. And I'm glad."

And Lucas pulled her into a hug, wrapping his arms tightly around her, his head pressed against her hair. Maya was a little shocked by the sudden act and blinked for a few seconds, looking at the wall over his shoulder. He was unbelievably warm. Then she smiled and rested her head against his shoulder, honestly so glad he was around because she didn't know how she would have gotten through this pregnancy on her own.

"Lucas, you smell like sweat…" she muttered, reaching up around his back and loosely holding onto him.

"I've been at practice all afternoon. What do you expect?"

They stayed in that embrace for a few moments, Maya just letting him hold her and trying to keep her blush down. Finally, he let go of her, looking relieved.

"How did you know what was going on?" Maya asked.

"Missy told me you were in trouble."

And that's when Maya finally noticed the girl leaning against the lockers at the end of the hall, pretending to text and politely giving them privacy during their moment.

"Missy? You brought Lucas?"

Missy nodded, walking over to the pair. "Saw them harassing you."

Maya's eyebrows skipped. That was unexpected.

"Thanks."

"You're dealing with a lot with this pregnancy. Those bitches were making it worse." Missy said with a nonchalant wave of her hand. "I knew he'd be the best one to get rid of them."

"That's… really nice of you. Why?"

Missy leaned over, whispered quietly in Maya's ear. "I had a pregnancy scare last year. It was literally the worst week of my life waiting for my period. I know it doesn't even begin to compare to what you're going through, but I totally get how intense it is. And you're keeping your baby. That's got to be stressful."

Missy backed away and pulled out a sticky note, scribbling on it quickly with a gel pen.

"Here's my number. Let me know if you need anything, Maya."

She turned on her heels and clicked away before Maya could respond, and Maya stood there, staring after her with a dumbfounded expression on her face and the sticky note in her hand. It was almost hard to believe that Missy had just been _nice_ to her.

"That was so weird…" Maya muttered.

"Yeah, I know." Lucas said, "Hey. I'm walking you home. Let me shower and change real fast."

"What about your practice?"

"Coach let me go. It was almost over anyway."

"Okay…" She didn't see why not. Walking with Lucas would infinitely be more pleasant than walking by herself. "Where's your stuff?"

"Locker room. C'mon."

She followed him down the hall towards the locker room.

~.~.~

"How come when you saw those girls approach you didn't leave?" Lucas called out from behind the curtain, his voice slightly muffled by the sound of the cascading water.

"I couldn't." Maya said, texting Riley the events of the day as she kicked her legs back and forth, "They snuck up on me before I could avoid them."

He said nothing for a while as he showered, and Maya subtly inhaled deeply. She could smell his aftershave, and it was amazing. She leaned back against the mirror, closing her eyes and relishing in the comfort she felt from the scent.

"Are you shaving?"

"I have dinner with my dad tonight. He tends to nitpick about the stupidest things. I don't want some lecture for an hour about not being clean shaven."

"He's still here?"

"He's staying until break starts to take me back to Texas with him."

Maya nodded, letting the comfortable silence take over the conversation once again. She pulled out her pack of donuts and finished it off quietly, patiently answering Riley's concerned and frantic texts about the harassment. What was with everyone freaking out about it? It honestly hadn't been that big of a deal. Sure, annoying. But nothing worth crying over spilled milk about.

The water cut off and shortly after Lucas came out with his shower caddy clad in just a towel wrapped around his waist. Maya froze mid bite of her last donut, unable to tear her gaze away from him, her eyes taking him in in appreciation. He was still wet with beads of water clinging to his body and his hair sticking up at odd angles from his shampoo. Sometimes she forgot how attractive Lucas was and whenever she was reminded, it would always smack her in the face. He paused as he walked by her, a small knowing smirk forming on his face when he caught her ogling him.

Lucas rose an amused eyebrow. "You want a napkin for that drool?"

Maya scoffed and went back to texting Riley, trying to pretend like she wasn't a little flustered.

"What? You're a piece of eye candy. And I'm pregnant. Not dead."

Lucas snorted and continued on his way around the corner to his locker to change. Maya considered sneaking around and snapping a secret pic of him to keep for her particularly _charged_ nights, but she forced herself to stay put on the bathroom corner, literally sitting on her hands to make sure she didn't do something stupid.

"You know, you could have gotten really hurt today." Lucas said as he came back around the corner with his school bag, dressed and hair for the most part brushed. "Not just you, but also Jellybean."

Maya frowned. "Wait. Are you _still_ going on about that?"

"Farkle's been telling me about all these risks you face now that you're pregnant." He shrugged, coming to stand in front of her. "I can't help but keep thinking about what would have happened if I hadn't gotten there fast enough."

"Nothing would have happened. Let it go." Maya said, rolling her eyes, "Why are you still so freaked out?"

"I just wish you would let me protect you."

Her heart skipped a beat. "I'm not a damsel in distress. I can take care of myself, Huckleberry."

"I know…" He took her hand, stepping closer to her with a smile. "And that's what scares me the most. You would probably be the type to try to deliver the baby on your own even."

Maya laughed, taking his other hand reassuringly. "If it makes you feel better, I'll let you get all Papa Bear on me one day a week. Deal?"

"That's fine." He grinned. "Then I pick today."

Before she could react, Lucas scooped her up from the counter bridal style, holding her gingerly in his arms. Maya let out a surprised squeal, quickly wrapping her arms around his neck when her center of gravity suddenly changed.

"Lucas!"

"You could easily hurt yourself walking." he said simply, his chest vibrating with laughter.

"That's Riley!"

"Still. Cracks in the tile could make you fall."

"What cracks? You just want to carry me."

"That's not a lie."

But Maya chuckled and rested her head against his shoulder. She couldn't lie and say she wasn't absolutely comfortable. And Lucas smelled like heaven. She could definitely get used to this.

"Did you drive?"

"Not today."

"I swear Huckleberry, I can walk."

"I know you can."

He didn't set her down until they had gotten out of the school building, but even then, he almost immediately took her hand, slipping his fingers in between her own. She loved how warm his hand always felt in hers.

As they walked down the sidewalk on the way to Riley's, Maya spotted a hot dog vendor advertising his two dollar dogs. She stared at it, her stomach suddenly crying out for food.

"You want me to buy you one?" Lucas asked, noticing the intense look she was giving the cart.

She nodded slowly, already tugging him in the direction of the street vendor with an excited twinkle in her eyes.

"Hi." The man said congenially, "What'll it be?"

"Can I have a hot dog, but without the meat and some ketchup please?"

A small frown appeared on his face for a second. "So… the bun and some ketchup?"

"Yes!" Maya said in excitement, "That's exactly it."

"No pickles? No relish? No nothing?"

"Nope. Just bun and a shit ton of ketchup."

Lucas and the vendor both stared at her with slightly horrified expressions on their faces. After a moment, the vendor shook his head in complete confusion, but he pulled out a bun and filled the space where the dog should have gone with ketchup. He wrapped it in aluminum and handed it to Maya, who smiled gleefully. It smelled absolutely amazing.

"You know what? This ones on me." the vendor said, waving off Lucas when he pulled out his wallet, "I've seen a lotta weird shit on these New York streets, but a dog without the dog and only ketchup? Never. You two have a nice day."

She and Lucas continued on their way and Maya took a huge, happy bite of it, moaning under her breath at the relief of her hunger from the ketchup. _God_, she loved ketchup. Lucas was watching her the whole time, his face looking quite appalled.

"What?" she asked, licking her lips of some of the ketchup.

"Do you, uh, always get these super weird cravings?"

"They're not weird." She muttered, taking another happy bite. "These are amazing."

"What do you normally eat at home?"

"Well. I like to make frozen ketchup bars. And Riley mixed some chocolate pudding and ketchup for me to dip pickles in." She shrugged, finishing off the ketchup dog and licking her fingertips to get off the excess condiment that had dripped. "Peanut butter and ketchup tastes really good on bread. Anything fried of course. And pineapples and ketchup are the best."

Lucas looked a little green by the end of her explanation. "Maya, your ketchup craving is all kinds of disgusting."

"That's rude." She shot him a dirty look. "I'll kick your butt, Ranger Rick. I don't care if your baby is in me."

"Sorry." he chuckled, turning her around so she was in front of him. "Hold on. You've got a little something here."

He leaned down and gently wiped the ketchup off of the corner of her mouth with his index finger. She stared up at him, her heart jumping in her chest when he pulled away with a warm look in his eyes.

"Do you have a napkin?"

"Don't waste the ketchup…" Maya murmured, taking his finger and sucking the ketchup off of the end.

Lucas' breath hitched at her action and he stiffened, his brows furrowed and eyes dancing with a fire that sent a thrill down Maya's back. She removed her mouth from his finger with a slight pop and then leaned up on the very tip of her toes, placing her hands on his shoulders and kissing him softly on the cheek. She didn't know exactly what had compelled her to do so, but she felt bubbly and giggly and she just wanted to. He had something of a blush on his face, and he gazed at her in awe when she pulled away.

"What was that for?"

"Because you're always sweet to me. Even when I'm not."

He fell silent and watched her with a look vaguely resembling longing. And there was something else very sincere and heart-warming hidden deep in his expression that made Maya's cheeks start to flush. It seemed like he had something he wanted to say to her, but he wasn't saying a word. He was clearly holding something back and it frightened her because part of her had a feeling she knew what it was and the other part of her was doing everything in her power to pretend like she didn't. She wanted… to kiss him.

But she knew that could be potentially stupid.

She broke eye contact and quickly took his hand, tugging him towards the Matthews' apartment.

"Let's go Heehaw. It's getting dark. I need help figuring out what to do for my surrealist piece requirement. And you still have to go to dinner with your dad."

Lucas laughed. "Okay, but I doubt I'll be of much help."

They entered the complex and climbed the flight of steps. Maya had to grip the railing to keep Lucas from trying to pick her up again.

"I swear if you try to pick me up again I'll run, Huckleberry!"

She was laughing as they got to the landing and as they got to the Matthews' apartment door. She slid her key in the hole and opened it, walking in with Lucas in tow.

And then she froze.

Because her mother was sitting on the couch staring at the coffee table.

Topanga was sitting nearby, wringing her hands together and looking a little uneasy. Maya's stomach flipped, part apprehensive and part excited. There could only be one reason why her mom was here, right?

She swallowed thickly, her throat dry. "M-mom?"

Katy lifted her gaze to Maya and then her eyes dropped down to her abdomen with a genuine look of distaste. Maya felt herself go rigid, and her hand protectively covered her abdomen.

"Hello Maya." She said civilly, her gaze indifferent and almost frigid.

"What is she doing here?" Maya asked Topanga, a little pissed off by not only the look Katy had given her, but the fact that they hadn't seen each other in a little more than three weeks, and she was treating her so coldly.

"She came to see you." Topanga said nervously.

"I _came_ to drop off your paintings and the rest of your clothes and shoes." Katy corrected, shooting Topanga a scornful look. "You asked me to stay to see her. And now I've seen her."

Maya's spirits dropped once again, her heart tugging painfully in her chest. She felt so stupid. So, so stupid for thinking her mom had actually come to take her back. She had gotten excited for no reason only to get knocked down once again.

"So now that that's done, I have to go to work."

"Wait, Katy." Topanga pleaded, "Why don't you stay for dinner? At least talk to Maya."

"I'm not interested." She dismissed her sharply.

"Mom."

Katy glanced at Maya, her expression not particularly pleased. All Maya could feel from her was ice cold. There was no warmth in her gaze. No affection in her expression. Just cold, dark anger and disgust.

"Do you hate me or something?" Maya could feel her anger rising, along with something painful and heart-wrenching that was slowly climbing up her chest. "I don't understand why you're still so angry!"

"I don't hate you, Maya." Katy said simply, "I just can't stand to look at you right now."

"Katy. That's your _daughter_." Topanga responded, her voice distressed.

"While I appreciate you reminding me, Topanga, I'd rather not hear that coming from someone whose daughter isn't expecting a child." Katy gave Maya a dirty look once again, her eyes falling to the slight swell of her belly. "Whose daughter isn't a screw up."

Maya felt her throat tighten dangerously, and Lucas calmly slipped his hand into hers, squeezing it gently to give her support.

Topanga frowned. "Maya is not a screw up, Katy. She's been through hell and back these past few months, and she's pushed through it all to keep going on with each day. I don't appreciate that statement one bit. Maya is incredibly brave, and you need to recognize that!"

"Is that so?" Katy replied in boredom, "Well if you're so happy with her, why don't you keep her?"

"Mom…" Maya said shakily and appalled, her breathing starting to go jerky.

"Are you saying you're abandoning your daughter?!" Topanga exclaimed in stupefaction, "Your own flesh and blood?"

"I'm not abandoning her. I want her to come home." Katy said and everyone stared at her in shock.

Maya felt that twinge of hope rise in her once again.

"You want me home?"

Katy met her eyes once again. "Are you keeping your child?"

"I'm planning to."

"I want you to come home, Maya." Katy shook her head in disdain. "But only if you promise to give the child up for adoption since you're clearly not going to abort."

"What." Maya near whispered. Her voice sounded weak and strained, even to her own ears.

"Now hold on Ms. Hart–" Lucas started.

She cut him off with a raise of her hand. "Maya is irresponsible, lazy, and unfit to raise a child, especially at seventeen. She doesn't even have a job, she has no prospects, no college degree. She can't cook, she barely cleans, she's too selfish. You think she's ready to raise any kids when she can barely handle herself? There's no way she would be capable of raising a child. I would know. I've been through it."

"How could you say that about her?" Lucas said, his jaw clenched in irritation.

"It would be better for everyone if she gave up the child."

And Maya's heart nearly stopped, the pounding in her ears rising and becoming a loud ringing until that was all she could hear.

"_Katy_!"

"_Ms_. _Hart_!"

Maya let go of Lucas' hand, stepping forward unsteadily.

"Is that what you thought?" Maya asked quietly, her voice quivering, unshed tears pooling in her eyes, "That life would have been better for you had you given me up?"

Katy's mouth snapped shut and she was silent, but all Maya needed to see was the momentary guilt and resentment in her mother's eyes to know the answer.

Without another word, Maya walked straight out of the living room and away from her mother. She went straight to Riley's room, throwing her notebooks and other random papers off the bed and trying to keep herself from crying. She could vaguely hear Lucas yelling at Katy somewhere in the back of her mind behind all the ringing.

"_You don't get to make that decision about what should be good for Maya when you decided to throw away your daughter! Maya chose to keep our baby. If you were any kind of decent mother, you would respect her decisions and support her no matter what!_"

She laid back on Riley's bed, her breathing growing choppy and coming out in short bursts. Maya closed her eyes, biting her lip to stop the violent quivering. Footsteps stormed down the hall and stopped at Riley's door. She glanced over and saw Lucas standing there, watching her in concern.

"Maya."

She sniffled and turned over, facing the window.

"I don't want to talk about it."

He obliged and sat on the edge of the bed, picking up a discarded notebook from the ground, skimming the page.

"What's this?"

She rolled back around and saw he was holding the end of the letter she was writing to her dad. Her eyes widened, and she pulled it from his fingers before stuffing it under her pillow.

"It's not important."

She stared up at the ceiling, trying to swallow down the thick lump in her throat. Trying not to think about the fact that her mother all but said that she should never have kept her. Trying not to think about the fact that from the start, neither her mother nor father had ever wanted her. Trying not to think about the fact that she was a mistake in every sense of the word.

Without warning, Lucas turned and laid down next to her stomach, his legs hanging off the edge of the bed. He slowly peeled up her shirt, and Maya yelped in surprise, thinking he was trying something funny.

"Lucas, what are you–"

And then her breath caught when he gently placed his warm hand on her abdomen, right below her belly button where the bump was growing.

"Hey Jellybean." He whispered softly to her belly, "I don't think we've formally been introduced. I'm Lucas Friar. Your daddy. I know I wasn't there for almost ten weeks of your life. And I'm sorry. But you can blame Mommy for that."

He glanced up at Maya mischievously with those words, and she knew tears were dropping uncontrollably from her eyes when her vision blurred. She let out a breathless laugh, at how ridiculous and comforting this was.

"But I'll be there for you every step of the way for the rest of your life, no matter what. I promise. Even if your mommy threatens to kick my ass, I'll be right there. Always."

And then he kissed the spot where his hand had been, and it was so much sweeter and so much more intimate than any kind of kiss she could have ever gotten that Maya's heart faltered a couple beats. With a slight whimper, Maya broke down into choked sobs, covering her face with her hands as her body shook with the cries.

Lucas shifted and climbed on the bed, taking her by the waist and gently pulling her to him. She went willingly, pressing her face into his chest and just letting it all go: the frustration with her situation, her grief and anguish from her mother's rejection, her anger at herself for never being good enough, her happiness with Lucas. Everything poured out at once and she clutched his shirt, wailing as he held her, rubbing her back softly as jerky hiccups wracked her body.

"I'm a mess…"

"You're not."

"What about your dad?"

"Doesn't matter. I'm not going anywhere…"


	11. Chapter 11

**Hi Guest and Not He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named! Although I do appreciate the suggestions for the name and the time you took to think of names, gender and naming rights and what the child will look like were already given to my inspiration for the story long ago, so it's already been decided :) But thanks anyway!**

**A/N: I realize there are a lot of clichés in this story lol, but hahah I kind of like some clichés, provided they're not overdone. If you feel something is overdone, please let me know.  
**

**Thank you for all the support anons, you awesome people on tumblr, people with accounts, etc! Thank you for giving this story a chance! Thanks for the kind reviews you've given me! And the love! I'm dedicating this chapter to everyone who reads this story! Because seriously, you all have made my life. This week has been one of the most extraordinary ones of my life and it's thanks to you all! :')**

**Disclaimer: I do not own GMW, but Lucaya is bae.**

* * *

"Alright, lift up your shirt please, Maya." Dr. Torres said with a smile, tugging on her gloves and picking up the tube of propylene glycol gel.

Maya complied, lifting it up as far as where her bra was and laying completely back into the examination table. She squirmed when her doctor squirted out the cold, sticky gel onto her abdomen. She no longer hopped around and giggled when it happened, but it still made her uncomfortably ticklish.

"Where's Riley today?" Dr. Torres asked, smoothing it around on her bump, making sure to spread it in all areas it needed to be.

"She's stuck on cooking duty with her mom." Maya responded. "She couldn't get out of it."

"That's too bad." She turned on the transducer and set it under Maya's bellybutton, slowly gliding it around to get a reading. "Anyway, how were your final exams?"

"C's. Nothing new." Maya glanced at the screen as the image began to materialize. "Although, I did get an A on Bio."

Which honestly surprised her, because she was fairly certain she had spent the rest of the semester sneaking glances at Lucas' profile and memorizing his face so she could sketch him in her other classes. She had more than a dozen of little Lucas sketches hidden away: Lucas chewing on his pen in thought, brows furrowed as he concentrated; Lucas smiling, pleased at himself when he answered a question right; Lucas daydreaming during boring classes, staring out the window with his chin resting on his palm, etc.

"I guess this whole baby business must have helped me with the reproduction and development chapter."

"Well congratulations then."

Dr. Torres chuckled softly as she tapped on a few keys of the ultrasound before running the ultrasound transducer over the area right below her belly button once again.

"How will you be spending your Christmas, Maya?"

"Probably eating. Maybe napping." As if on cue, she yawned. "I've been really tired lately."

"Hormonal changes. Make sure you are getting enough rest as well. I know school takes up a lot of your time, but above all, I want you to make sure you are at your healthiest for your baby." She slid the transducer a little lower. "Your bump is starting to get nice and firm in some areas though. Your pregnancy is going spectacularly."

She moved the mouse on the screen, checking fetal heart rate and the amount of amniotic fluid in the uterus. She moved the transducer once again, a small frown on her face.

"Huh."

"Is something wrong?"

"Part of your placenta seems to be covering your cervix…" Dr. Torres muttered, tapping the screen where the odd blob was located. Maya frowned, still unable to understand anything she was seeing even after having had multiple appointments. "It's not a problem right now, but I'm hoping it will shift as your uterus grows in the future, otherwise it could cause some bleeding later in your pregnancy."

Maya's eyes widened nervously, "As in hemorrhaging?"

"Yes, but don't worry. Placental misplacement is common in week sixteen but will usually correct itself by the third trimester."

Maya let out a breath of relief, and Dr. Torres patted her hand consolingly.

"I'm sorry. I should have phrased it better. I know you get nervous about these things." She smiled. "How's your nausea?"

"Not as bad anymore. I threw up a couple days ago, but nothing since then."

"That's good to know. But keep on taking those vitamins, alright? Call me if you need a refill of your prescription. And lastly, have you felt any 'quickening' yet?"

At Maya's somewhat questioning look, Dr. Torres chuckled to herself.

"Fetal movement. Most patients begin to feel it around the sixteen week mark."

"Oh. No. Not yet."

Maya gently prodded the side of the swell of her belly. There were a couple times when she had thought she felt her baby's movement, but it always turned out to be gas bubbles or something related to bloating. She couldn't wait for the day that she finally got some response from Jellybean.

"It'll happen soon, I'm sure. Jellybean is developing properly." Dr. Torres continued as she observed the screen. "About four inches now and growing with each day. Your due date seems to be just about accurate at this point. So yes, expect a late May, early June birth."

Maya smiled, feeling happiness bubble up in her chest. She was almost there. Almost at the point of officially seeing her little Jellybean. "That's good to know."

"Mmhmm. So, Jellybean's legs aren't crossed." Dr. Torres turned to her. "Do you want to know if you're having a boy or girl?"

"Wait, I can learn the gender right now?" Maya asked, biting her lip to keep her wide, excited smile at bay.

"It's totally up to you. You can wait for a little later if you want or you can decide on a surprise birth."

"I want to know."

"I thought so." Dr. Torres laughed, sliding the transducer once again across her abdomen. The image shifted quite a bit to the point where the baby looked kind of like a boomerang shape. "You see that space right there? That's where the crotch will develop."

Maya nodded, holding her breath in anticipation.

"Well… You've got the three lines, two for the labia and one for the vagina. There's no 'turtle'. Jellybean's a girl."

Maya let out a small squeal in excitement, trying to force the _yay_ in the back of her throat down. She covered her mouth to keep the squeals at bay, but she couldn't help the wide smile that seemed to take over her face. She and Riley had discussed the possible gender at length on multiple sleepless nights and ultimately decided that it would be more fun with a girl because Riley would get the chance to play dress up. Plus—and even Maya could not deny this—the idea of putting the baby in little baby band tees or Mary Jane's and little frilly socks and glittery bows just sounded so cute and exciting she could die. (And though she knew Lucas would be an absolutely great father to either a boy or a girl, she couldn't help but hope for a girl because she got excited at the prospect of him having great father/daughter bonding and treating Jellybean like a little princess).

"I am 95% sure she's a girl, but I'll continue to check to make sure at your next appointments. How does it feel to know your baby's gender?"

Maya laughed, giddy. "Unreal."

"I bet. You want a photo of the gender for proof?"

Maya nodded, and Dr. Torres set the ultrasound image to print, before she saved and closed out the file and set the transducer on the tray. She carefully wiped Maya's belly with the towel to remove the gunk and then stood up to finish with the rest of the post appointment tasks. Maya pulled her shirt back down and then rose off of the table, removing the sheet across her legs to slide her bottoms back up.

Dr. Torres went to the sink after removing the rubber gloves to wash her hands, politely giving Maya privacy to pull up her leggings.

"We're going to set the date for your next ultrasound in about four weeks or so. Does late January sound good to you?"

"That works, I think."

"In the meantime, you'll be growing fairly rapidly these next weeks. If you haven't done so already, I would highly recommend you start looking into maternity clothes, Maya."

She nodded, sighing under her breath. It had begun. The struggle for new clothes.

"Also. If you don't mind me asking, and I apologize if I'm overstepping boundaries, but," Dr. Torres said, giving Maya a concerned look while she wiped her hands. "Where is the father of your child? I would have thought he would be interested in coming to the appointment after what you told me about him."

"He's in Texas for winter break."

"And all the other appointments?"

"To be honest, I told him I didn't want him to come." Maya twiddled her thumbs, looking away from the obstetrician. "I didn't want him to Mother Hen me the whole time. He worries too much about me. He's been calling me every damn hour for the past four, and I've had it. I told him I'd kick his ass if he kept that up."

"You know, I've seen a lot of distant fathers not involved in the process at all. The father of your child seems like a really good guy. It is completely your decision, but in my opinion, I believe you should allow him the chance to experience this _with_ you. Especially since you are planning to raise the baby together. He needs preparation for fatherhood, and knowing everything about his upcoming child will make the early months easier to transition into. And knowing what's going on inside you will also help him be more accommodating to your needs."

Maya's cheeks burned slight red in embarrassment.

"Now that you're starting to reach that halfway point, I think it's time you started giving him the chance to meet his baby girl as well." Dr. Torres smiled kindly, writing a few notes at the base of Maya's file. "Maya, I think he really cares about you. Give him a chance to show you how much he can care for your baby too. Regardless of how annoyingly doting he is."

Maya knew Dr. Torres was right. Lucas had proven time and time again how much he cared and more than wanted to be involved, through walking her home every day despite being exhausted from his practices, taking her to the nurse's whenever she was feeling particularly ill, and all his underhanded schemes with Farkle to figure out everything he could about her pregnancy. He was reliable. And sure, his devotion got pretty annoying sometimes (especially since it was fairly cold, and he always fussed over whether she was warm enough), but Maya definitely preferred that over him possibly completely ignoring her and rejecting her.

"Just think about what I said, Maya."

"I will. Thank you."

She smiled. "The front desk will have your ultrasound photo. I'll see you in four weeks!"

Dr. Torres left the room and Maya finished getting dressed, slipping on the flat boots she'd had to borrow from Topanga for the appointment. If there was one thing she absolutely hated, it was how she'd recently had to trade her precious high heels and sexy boots in for loafers and sneakers. She missed being somewhat taller with her shoes. Now she felt shrubby and tiny and with her protruding belly, she felt she looked like some sort of little duck! Lucas and her friends thought it was adorable that she didn't even come up to their shoulders, but it bothered her. She needed to get shorter friends, because all three of them were too damn tall!

Maya tugged on her winter coat, wrapped her scarf around her neck, and rearranged the beanie on her head to cover her ears before leaving the room and walking down the corridor to get her picture from the front desk. Once she had thanked the receptionist and exited the office, she scurried to the elevator to finish up the rest of her tasks for the day.

Christmas dinner would be around five, so she only had a couple more hours to take care of what needed to be done. She responded to Lucas' check-up text telling him to call her in the evening. Then she answered Riley's concerned text, letting her know everything went well and that she would be on her way back shortly.

All she had to do now was finish up her errand and get Riley's present.

She shuffled down the sidewalk on her way to the subway, hands in her pockets to fend off the cold. Most all shops were closed and the sidewalks were (for the most part) bare except for those last minute Christmas shoppers scrambling to check off everything on their gift lists and store food in case the evening forecasted blizzard reared its ugly head. Maya preferred the streets this way: clear and open and perfect for stowing in her own thoughts.

And it was a bonus that people weren't there, staring at her with squinted eyes trying to figure out if she really was pregnant or she was just somewhat plump. And then figuring out it was the former and their faces twisting into that look she came to recognize was disappointment at yet _another_ irresponsible teen. She would be lying if she said they didn't bother her sometimes. Because some disparaging looks and comments really bugged her. It hadn't been a problem when she was in earlier stages of her pregnancy and didn't show, but now she was really starting to feel some pressure.

Just the week before , on her way to school with Riley on the subway, a woman had asked her if she was actually pregnant. When she had answered the affirmative, the disdain on the woman's face immediately showed, and she'd made some comment about her being too young to be having a child and basically being a baby herself. Maya had answered as politely as she could to the rude and unnecessary criticism, but when the woman had replied with something along the lines of '_I swear, mothers these days never know how to raise their children right'_, Maya had almost flipped a raging shit and Riley had to quickly stuff her mouth with bagel to keep her from going off on the woman.

And a few days before actually, the day before their last exam, she and her friends had been studying in library and the amount of odd and judgemental looks she had received made her get a little self-conscious. Lucas took her hand to comfort her, and though it had been soothing, Maya couldn't help but think that everybody in the world was gawking at her and staring at her like she was a pariah.

Maya sighed. She supposed that would be the way it would be from now on. Such was baggage that came with being pregnant. She rubbed the swell gently, smiling to herself. Still, regardless of her slowly dwindling self-esteem, she wasn't ashamed of being pregnant anymore. She'd really grown to love her baby. Despite all the stupid annoying raging hormones in every extreme and the vomit and the ketchup (which she used to never be able to stand but surprisingly couldn't live without now) and the _gassiness_, Jellybean had quickly become her best companion. It was fun to talk to her about stupid shit.

It was a strange feeling, the maternal one, but she was actually kind of enjoying it with each day that passed.

"Christmas Day sale until five! Everything 50% off! Come shop at A La Mode for the Christmas Day Extravaganza!"

And Maya did a double take at the familiar voice ringing the bell and shouting at the top of her lungs. She turned and realized it was Missy standing outside of a clothing boutique, dressed to the nines in a goofy elf costume, her cheeks painted red and hair in two pigtails on either side of her head. Maya stared at her for a good few moments, wondering if she was actually seeing things or this was real. She contemplated taking a picture for shits and giggles, but then Maya remembered how Missy had done her a solid a few weeks ago.

She put the phone back in her bag and walked over to the girl.

"Missy?"

The brunette's gaze snapped to Maya in alarm, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Oh my God…" She tried to hide her face. "I'm not Missy. My name is Amanda."

Maya rose a brow, but said nothing, still a little shocked by the fact that this really was Missy dressed like one of Santa's elves and advertising a store.

"Urgh…" Missy groaned in embarrassment when it became apparent Maya wasn't buying her excuse. "I can't believe someone from school saw me."

"I didn't know you uh… worked here." Maya said, feeling laughter bubbling up in her chest.

"I'm filling in for a neighbour!" Missy snapped, a light blush forming on her face in chagrin. "I work retail at another shop called Royals."

"You actually work?" Maya asked, honestly surprised by the revelation. Missy just did not seem like the type to do a day of work in her life.

"I have to. My mom's off in Tijuana."

"What about your dad?"

"Don't know. Cabo probably?"

_Neither of her parents are home? How long have they been gone?_

Maya was astonished to say the least. Maya had not expected Missy would have difficulties with her parents. She just seemed like the type of girl who had her whole life together and handed to her on a silver platter. The discovery brought up so many questions. But she held off on asking anything else because Missy's face had taken on a sort of dark, melancholic irritation, and Maya knew everyone had their own skeletons in their closets they wanted to keep hidden.

"Look, I know we're not friends or anything, but please don't tell anyone about this." She pleaded, rubbing her hands together to fight the cold, "No one—not even my boyfriend—knows about my employed life, and I intend to keep it that way."

"I wasn't planning to." Then Maya changed the subject to give the clearly uncomfortable girl a break. "What kind of store is open on Christmas anyway?"

"Exactly what I've been wondering for the past three hours."

"You've been out here for three hours in that elf getup?" Maya snorted, "Hope they're paying you enough."

"Oh they'd better." Missy gestured to Maya's abdomen. "So how's the baby?"

"Good. She's good."

"So you're having a girl huh? You taking suggestions for names? Because Missy is a _fantastic _choice."

"All naming rights are reserved to Riley Matthews." Maya said on autopilot. The amount of people at school who had given her suggestions for the past few weeks was bordering on hundreds. She had so many requests that she'd had to develop a kind of automatic response to said requests. "But if you'd like the name to be considered, please consult Riley to state your case."

Missy snorted and rolled her eyes. "How long is the waitlist for the consultation?"

"Well, there are at least a hundred others." Maya teased, playing along, "Maybe you'll get lucky and someone else will mention your suggestion. Or you could just bribe them to switch with you."

"You're funny. I like you." Missy smirked, an eyebrow raised sassily, "Anyway, my boss is watching me, so either plan to buy something or you gotta scat."

"Got it." Maya said with a smile, planning to continue on her way.

"Wait. Hold on." Missy said, tugging on her sleeve. "Royals has an opening for part-time hire until June. It's just general retail so pay isn't all that great, but no one has applied yet, so it's pretty fair game. The sooner you can start, the better. And I can totally vouch for you if you need credentials or a reference."

"I, uh…" Maya frowned, hesitating.

"You could stand to make some serious cash if you take this job. Babies are super expensive. If you start saving up now, it might make things a little easier when your baby actually comes along."

What Missy said was all true, and it was something that had been poking the back of Maya's mind for a little while, but was it really wise to be picking up so many hours after school working? Not only did she still have several paintings to complete for the art show which took tons of time to work on, but she was also a little bent out of shape with the baby and an active position in a workplace would probably wear her out.

"Thanks." Maya finally responded. "I'll think about it."

"Yeah, do that. And tell your Loverboy Lucas that he needs to pick up work too. The girl can't be the only one doing everything. He needs to get his ass in gear." Missy started ringing her elf bell once again, signifying the conversation was over. "Merry Christmas, Maya."

"You too, Missy." Maya said as she left, still a little taken aback by how easily conversation with Missy had gone. This was the same prissy, stuck up girl who used to snub them all through high school. And here there were, having a _normal_ conversation like old friends. It was strange.

Her phone pinged with the arrival of another text message from Riley.

**_You said you were on your way. You're STILL not here yet. About to send out a team of cops to find you if you don't get home soon!_**

_chill honey. i forgot to buy you a gift. picking one up right now._

**_Ooooooh! Present! Alright. One hour. And then I'm calling the national guard._**

Maya snorted in amusement and slipped her phone into her pocket as she headed to the subway.

She had lied.

She'd already made Riley's present ages ago. Started it in August of their junior year in fact and had finally finished it over the summer before their senior year started. It was a mosaic art piece of all the photos of them since they had become friends in their childhood, shrunken, intricately placed and positioned. The overall picture recreated the first photo memory they had: the two of them at a fair, cotton candy stuck to Maya's cheeks and caramel smeared on Riley's nose and forehead. The actual photo had unfortunately been lost years ago, but Maya remembered the details like it had been in front of her face and had made the portrait to give to Riley for her adventures in college so she would never forget her lil' old best friend back home. It had taken Maya a little more than a year to finish it up, and in order to make sure Riley never ever found it, Maya had stored it in a super-secret place no one would think to look:

Under her mother's bed.

Which is why she was heading there now to pick it up, despite the fact that her palms were sweating.

As she rode the familiar subway route that she hadn't traveled in about a month, her nerves increased with each stop that brought her closer to her home. No. Her _old_ home. Her anxiety was so bad, she didn't even notice the curious and snide glances being cast her way by the few other occupants of the subway.

Once there, Maya got off the subway at her stop and made the familiar trek through the muddy, dirty streets and litter infested sidewalks. Getting to the apartment wasn't a problem. The problem could potentially be getting _inside_. She wasn't exactly certain her mother would even be home.

In the past, Katy would always take Christmas' off to celebrate with Maya. During the day, they would decorate their apartment with random streamers and birthday decorations from prior birthdays and pretend the potted plant on the window sill was a Christmas tree. And when night fell, they would bake terrible cookies and make hot chocolate from scratch that was way too bitter and then end up ordering pizza and soda and watching TV specials on the couch with their feet in identical bunny slippers. It wasn't exactly what most people would consider _Christmas_, but it was Christmas to Maya.

Without her at home with her mom, would Katy even still celebrate? If she had picked up another shift on this day, Maya was pretty sure she would have to break into the apartment.

(Maya had misplaced and ultimately lost their only spare and the key she used the night she hooked up with Lucas. What a cruel twist of fate. Her hook up had gotten her locked out of her own home. In more than one way).

Maya approached the door of her old home. She could definitely hear noise inside, and realized her mother had taken this Christmas off too. It made her a little nervous. She had been hoping she could snatch the portrait and leave without having to have an awkward conversation with her mother. But she wouldn't let this deter her anyway. She planned to just walk in there, get her portrait and leave immediately. She had nothing to say to her mother.

Especially not after that horrible confrontation earlier that month.

But she'd never get anywhere if she stood there waiting.

So without a second thought, Maya lifted her hand and rapped her knuckles against the door. There was a shuffling, and then feet padding closer and closer to the door. It swung open almost brutally, banging against the wall, and Maya almost jumped.

"For fuck's sake Ned! I told you I don't want any damn singers coming–"

And then Katy's eyebrows lifted as she stared back at her daughter in slight shock.

"Maya…"

"Hey mom."


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: I'm gonna be honest: I haven't seen enough of BMW to get a full grasp of the characters and personalities of Shorpanga, so I kind of write them however I want lol. Sorry if all three are OOC (but lol it's an AU sooooo…) **

**Also Anon from tumblr who requested the adorable Lucaya mall scene: unfortunately, I can't fit that scene into this story anymore. It's a little too late, but I do love your request and I'll put the scene as a "missing moment" in Love and War. I hope that's okay with you!  
**

**If I told any of you I would update on Thursday I want to sincerely apologize for grossly misinterpreting just how long this chapter would end up being! I am so sorry for deceiving you if I did and I hope you can forgive me for being a doof... Thursday was a bad day for me. And then it took me _two days_ to write this chapter out. I hope you can forgive me. And thank you always for the reviews and the kindness you all have shown me towards this story! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own GMW, but Lucaya is bae.**

* * *

_"Alright, baby girl." Katy said, pushing the door further open with her bum and tugging Maya to come inside. "We're home."_

_Maya trudged in, dragging behind her Mr. Flopsy, her thumb planted in her mouth. She looked around the empty darkened apartment, her nose wrinkling. The place was dusty and humid and it made her skin crawl, not to mention how musty the air was. The walls were almost yellow, and the carpet had weird looking patches that looked like pee stains. It was just gross overall._

_"Mommy…" she said, taking a step back in fright. Katy put a hand on her shoulder to stop her, pushing her slightly forward. "I don't like it here…"_

_"There's nothing we can do about it. This is the only place I can afford with my salary."_

_"What happened to our old home?" Maya asked, eyeing the giant spider in the corner cautiously._

_Katy didn't answer her and turned to the light switch near the door, flicking it up and down repeatedly. Nothing._

_"Huh… The fuse must be busted…" Katy muttered. "I'll have to ask the landlord about that."_

_"Mommy?"_

_"Not now, Maya." Katy responded, walking outside and picking up another one of the cardboard boxes in the hallway and bringing it inside. This box said fragile on it, and Katy walked painstakingly slowly and set it on the dusty kitchen counter. A burst of dust flew up from the counter when the box made contact and Katy coughed violently, waving her hand in front of her face to clear it from the area._

_"This fucking dust is terrible…" Katy muttered under her breath, before peeling the tape off of the box she had taken and opening it up._

_Maya looked around in confusion. Where was the furniture? Where was all the cheerful stuff that Daddy had on the walls? What happened to the nice fluffy white carpet? And why wasn't Daddy here yet? This didn't look like any home to her._

_"Mommy?" she asked again, and Katy paused in plugging in a lamp she'd unearthed from the box, glancing at Maya over her shoulder._

_"What is it, Maya?"_

_"Why did we move? This place is crummy…" she whined, staring at the bug skittering across the floor looking for a hiding place when light illuminated the room. "And there's a bug here. How come we can't live with Daddy?"_

_Katy sighed and closed her eyes momentarily, pinching the bridge of her nose in that way that always made her look much older than she really was. She ran her hands through her long tangled hair, before bunching it up and tying it above her head in a sloppy bun and addressing Maya._

_"Maya, listen." She said, settling in front of Maya and sitting on her knees so she was eye level with the little girl. "We had to move because we needed a place to live."_

_"But why can't we live with Daddy?" Maya whined again, clutching her bunny to her chest. "I don't like this place. I don't wanna live here."_

_Katy smoothed down Maya's flyaway blonde hairs on her head before softly cradling her plump cheek in her hand. _

_"Well, sometimes we have to make sacrifices in life. Girls my age are all living it up in college right now, but I'm sacrificing any education to work because you need something stable in your life. And right now, we have to sacrifice our old home if we want to be able to eat or buy clothes or even new toys for you."_

_"I don't get it…"_

_Katy sighed. "Maya, some day when you're older and you understand better, I'll tell you. But for now, this is where we will live."_

_Maya sniffled, her lips starting to quiver a bit. She didn't want to move. And she was scared of this place. _

_"I know you're sad, baby girl, but look on the bright side. Even though we don't have much money, at least you can have your own room. You can even invite your new friend Riley to a sleepover here." Katy wiped away a tear on Maya's freckled cheek. "I'll work hard for you, okay? I know life won't be easy for us, but we have to make the best of our situation, okay?"_

_Maya nodded, rubbing her eyes with her sleeve to wipe away the tears. _

_"And hey. Guess what?"_

_"What?"_

_"This place only looks scary right now because we haven't fixed it up yet. Once we clean up the dust and get some furniture and repaint those walls and get some light in here, put up a couple pictures, and get rid of those nasty bugs, this place will look brand new! Doesn't that sound fun?" _

_A little smile appeared on Maya's face, and she nodded again._

_Katy smiled warmly at her, lightly tapping her on the nose. "It's going to be hard, but Mommy's going to work hard and make sure you are happy, okay? I'm always going to be here with you.."_

_"You promise?"_

_"Yes I do." _

_"Pinky swear?" Maya asked, lifting up her pinky._

_"Pinky swear." Katy said with a wide grin, locking her pinky with Maya's and shaking it slightly. "We'll stick together always. Just you and me, baby girl. Just you and me."_

* * *

Maya stared at her mother, watching her with slightly widened eyes in surprise. Katy looked exhausted. There were bags under her eyes and her face was kind of pale.

Katy cleared her throat, her voice sounding a little hoarse. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to pick up something that you didn't bring." Maya replied, hugging her coat a little tighter around her. She didn't want her mother casting any other negative glares at Bean.

"Oh." Katy replied, stepping aside to let her in.

Maya walked past her to go get the portrait in the bedroom in the back. As she walked into the living room, she was entirely surprised that there was nothing Christmas-y about the apartment in the least. No decorations hanging crookedly from the ceiling. No smell of burnt cookies, no scent of bitter hot chocolate permeating the air. The TV was on, but the channel was set on some scientific channel and not on the Christmas specials.

As Maya walked toward the hallway, she noticed the pile of napkins on the floor near the couch and realized her mother probably had a cold. Usually when she got a cold, Maya would nurse her back to health. Had Katy been trying to take care of it on her own? Where was the menthol? Or the steaming honey tea with lemon?

"You have a cold?" Maya asked, a little worried.

"It's just a little one." Katy croaked a little sharply, sitting back down on the couch and staring at the TV.

Maya wanted to say something, but she held herself back, shaking her head.

She wouldn't get sentimental.

She couldn't forget that her mother didn't want her. And since that was the case, then Maya wanted nothing to do with her either.

Maya walked down the hallway and headed to Katy's room, pushing open the door. It looked like she hadn't used it in a while. The bed was perfectly made with the blankets tucked in and there was a thin, growing layer of dust on the wooden headboard. Had her mother been pulling extra shifts so she wouldn't come home or something?

A little concerned, despite the fact she tried to tell herself she shouldn't care, Maya crouched under the bed and reached her hand around until she felt the wooden frame of the portrait. She tugged it out slowly and held it up in front of her, smiling to herself that it was still in perfect condition, save for a few specks of dust here and there. Riley was going to love it. She tucked it inside her tote, making sure it was comfortably arranged so it wouldn't be damaged in transport.

As she left her mother's room, her eyes drifted to her own room door, slightly ajar. Morbid curiosity gripped her and she wondered, for some strange reason, what her room looked like. She knew most of her stuff was in Riley's room at this point. But she honestly was wondering what her roomed looked like now that there wasn't any life in it.

She padded over to the door and poked her head inside, glancing around. She had been right. Her room was fairly and oddly bare and untouched.

Except for her bed.

The sheets and covers were frumpy and ruffled and folded over themselves like someone had recently slept in them. And there was an open book resting on the pillow. Confused, she walked further in to take a look at the book. She was met with various random images of a blue eyed, blonde haired baby girl crawling on a fuzzy white carpet and crying and smearing food on her face and being given a bath.

It was her baby album.

Her fucking baby album.

"No..."

Maya inhaled unsteadily and spun around immediately, trying hard not to think about the implication of her baby pictures resting on her clearly used bed. She walked right out of her room and down the hall to the living room.

As she came out in the living room, her eyes immediately went to her mother, still sitting stiffly on the couch, her back to Maya. Something tugged in Maya's chest, and she swallowed thickly, knowing her anger at her mother had pretty much disappeared. Three weeks of anger. Evaporated so unbelievably fast. Maya wondered if she was ever actually angry at Katy's rejection to begin with. Because looking at her, the only thing Maya could think about was how much she wished she could have been sitting on that couch with her.

"I'm gonna go now."

Katy didn't respond.

Maya's words evaporated into thin air as if they had never existed.

Maya put her hand on the doorknob, almost leaving, but her hand stilled.

"You know… You're welcome to come to the Matthews to celebrate with us."

Maya looked over her shoulder and saw her mother was watching her from the side, something like regret passing through her eyes once again.

"I…" Katy started, turning back around to face the TV with a frown. She shook her head slowly. "I think you better go."

And Maya's throat tightened dangerously. She knew her eyes were watering.

But not because she was sad for herself.

There was something absolutely heartwrenching about seeing her mother sitting by herself on Christmas day without anyone to keep her company. They always spent Christmas with each other. It was their thing. They stuck together just the two of them. Well, at least until Maya had to fuck up everything and get pregnant. What had happened to them? They used to be so close and now, it was like there was a whole mountain between them, and it hurt. It honestly, truly hurt Maya to see that their relationship had crumbled so badly to the point they couldn't even be in the same room.

Maya spun around, walking around the couch to where her mother was sitting.

"Mom. I can stay with you today you know?" Maya said earnestly, almost begging, "I can stay with you just for today. We always stick together for Christmas."

Katy closed her eyes momentarily, her head turned slightly away from Maya, fists bunching the material of her dress. After letting out a deep breath, she stood up firmly, her expression displeased and closed off. Seeing her up close again, Maya wondered if her mother had always been that thin, that tired, and looking worn down. There was no vibrancy in her expression, no happiness in her eyes. Katy was only in her mid-thirties, yet for some reason, her eyes were jaded like she had been through an entire life and back already. How come Maya had never noticed it until now?

"I'd rather you didn't. Go Maya." Katy said firmly, her fists still tightly clenching her dress.

Katy was putting on airs. Maya could see it in her demeanor, like she wanted to say yes but she wouldn't. Why didn't she just say yes? Why didn't she just let Maya back into her life? They were supposed to be together forever. They were supposed to be each other's support and reliance, but Katy wouldn't let Maya in at all, and it was tearing her apart. Her mother was all she had left of her family.

Maya nodded, tears starting to pool on her lower lashes. "Alright… I-I understand."

And then Maya opened her bag and rummaged through it. She pulled out the ribboned box of chocolates she had bought the day before. The box of chocolates she had been planning to just ignore until Christmas passed.

"I didn't think I was going to give this to you. But I bought it anyway." Maya handed it to her, tears trailing down her cheek. "They're your favourites."

Katy took the box silently, her hands shaking as she stared at it.

Maya smiled slightly and then turned around, walking briskly to the door. As she opened it to leave, part of her desperately wanted to turn around and glance back at her mother. But the other part won out and she forced herself to remain resolute and not look back once because the noise Katy made as Maya crossed the threshold of the doorway sounded suspiciously like a sniffle, and Maya knew if she turned around, she herself would break down.

Maya walked away from the apartment, roughly wiping her eyes with her sleeve. She couldn't let this affect her like that.

Katy still didn't want her around. So Maya would put this behind her and would keep her distance until she did.

…If she ever did.

~.~.~

Maya walked into the Matthews apartment feeling a little drained. It was like all her cheerfulness from finding out Jellybean was a girl was sucked out of her from her interaction with her mother. Was this the way it was going to be from now on? Everything having to do with Katy would dishearten her?

She took off her coat with a sigh and set it on the rack beside the door before shutting it. The rest of the Matthews didn't seem to have arrived from Pennsylvania yet. Auggie and Ava were sitting nonchalantly cuddled on the couch watching one of the holiday specials playing on TV. Topanga was hurriedly bustling in the kitchen, checking the food in the oven and mixing things at the pot, but when she heard the door close, she turned to Maya.

"Maya, you're back?"

Ava turned to Maya and her eyebrows lifted in surprise.

"Whoa. You're pregnant, Blondie?"

Maya nodded, checking her phone to see if Riley had texted her. "I'm having a girl."

Topanga smiled, "Jellybean is a girl? Congratulations Maya."

"Wait." Auggie interjected, looking shocked out of his mind. "You're _pregnant?_ This whole time, I thought you were just getting kind of fat, Maya."

Maya shot Auggie a dirty look, and he shrugged sheepishly.

"You have no tact. Why am I even with you?" Ava slapped his arm, giving him a disgusted glare. She smiled charmingly at Maya. "I think that babies are just wonderful. Make sure to name her Ava, okay?"

"You'll have to take that up with Riley." Maya sighed, walking around the couch to where Topanga was. "Where is everyone?"

"Well, Alan and the others are still on the road. Cory and Shawn left a while ago. Said they had to run an 'errand', though I have no doubt, Cory forgot to buy me a present…" she grumbled, stirring the lumpy gravy in the pot. "Riley went to go put Christmas cards in our neighbours' mailboxes."

Maya didn't say anything in response, just sitting dejectedly at the table and Topanga turned around, concern on her face.

"Maya? You're a little pale. You want something to eat?"

"I'm not really hungry." Maya said, tracing the little scratch marks on the dinner table.

"Maya's not hungry?" Auggie snorted, "This coming from the girl who ate almost half of our Thanksgiving Day turkey and pretty much all the stuffing?"

"Auggie. We're done." Ava said coldly, prying herself out from under his arm and standing up to leave.

"What the heck did I do?"

Ava turned up her nose with a _humph_! and stormed out of the apartment.

"Ava, wait." Auggie groaned in exasperation, running after her to fix whatever the problem was now.

Topanga chuckled lightly in amusement before turning back to Maya. She set her hand on her forehead, checking to see if she might have been running a fever.

"You don't seem to be running hot." Topanga said, worry on her face, "Do you feel sick? Come on, let's have you lie down for a bit okay?"

Topanga cut off the stove and then helped Maya as she stood. They walked to Riley's room. Maya set her bag down and climbed on the bed, lying on her side as Topanga rubbed her back.

"Maya, what's wrong? You look a little down."

"My mom." Maya said, staring out the window. "I went back home to pick something up."

"Are you okay?"

"Well yes. And no. She seems kind of lonely… And it just makes me feel like I should be there with her, even if we're not on the best terms right now. But she still didn't want me there." Maya's vision blurred with tears, "We only have each other in this city. Yet on Christmas Day, we're not even together…"

"Oh Maya…" Topanga sighed.

"I just wish she would open up to me." Maya glanced down at her tummy. "Open up to _us_… The way things are now, it seems like she won't ever want to know Jellybean. And that hurts…"

They stayed there in silence for a bit, Maya using her palms to wipe away the tears in her eyes.

"Shit…" she said, sniffling heavily, "I thought I was over what happened weeks ago, but I'm not. My mom really doesn't want me."

"You can't say that." Topanga said, stroking her back soothingly, "If she really didn't want you at all, don't you think she would have completely and totally rejected you? Not even talked to you?"

_Or have been looking my baby pictures…_

"I just don't know what to do..."

"There's nothing you can do but give her time." Topanga said softly. "Until then, you can only hope she'll come around eventually and let you back in."

Riley's door opened then, and Shawn walked in with a wide smile, Cory in tow looking somewhat nervous.

"Hey kiddo! Haven't seen you in a…while?"

Shawn tapered off, watching her with complete surprise on his face. Even without looking in his direction, Maya knew he was staring at her abdomen. A quick glance his way proved her suspicions indeed correct.

"Maya, y-you're pregnant?" Shawn asked incredulously. "…How?"

She swallowed thickly and sat up slowly, trying to adopt a smile though she knew her hands were shaking. She'd already had to tell several important people what had happened to her and each time had been just as nerve-wracking and just as scary as the last, and this was no exception. The worst part about it was the slight mortification on Shawn's face. Unlike the blank expressions of the others she had told, she could see his unease clear as day.

"C'mon Shawn." She laughed a little nervously. "You don't know how babies are made?"

His mouth snapped shut and turned down in a frown, and Maya grimaced, knowing how ill-timed her joke really was.

"Maya what the hell happened?"

His tone wasn't necessarily disparaging, but it wasn't exactly pleased and Maya realized that he didn't want any beating around the bush or messing around. He wanted the exact truth from her; she could tell.

"I was careless. And now I'm having a baby girl." Maya held his serious gaze, forcing her fright down. "And I'm going to raise her."

He stared at her in shock for a moment before running his hand through his short hair and taking a seat at the window, letting out a deep, ragged sigh. Maya swallowed down the feelings of fear pervading her mind, but she felt a little comfort when Topanga lightly squeezed her shoulder. Cory flanked her on the other side, sitting next to her and giving her gentle rubs on the back.

"Are you disappointed in me?" Maya said, looking at the rug, "You wouldn't be the first."

"I'm going to be honest." Shawn said apologetically, "I would be lying if I said I wasn't. I kind of am disappointed in you, Maya."

She felt a sting of pain, knowing that his words had deeply affected her. Tears prickled the back of her eyes, but she forced herself to try to take deep even breaths.

"I mean, it's good that you're going to try to raise your child, and you're taking responsibility for your actions and all, but Maya. Do you not realize what that means?"

"Hey Shawn? Can you take it a little easy on her?" Topanga cut in with a frown. "Katy kicked her out. She's had it a little rough."

"Your mom kicked you out?"

Maya nodded, looking up to gauge his expression. He didn't look particularly angry or pissed off at her, but he wasn't smiling. And he definitely did not look like he would be offering any sympathy. Which oddly enough, after having had to deal with so many people on either extreme of the spectrum, it was a little refreshing.

"In October." Maya placed her hand on her abdomen, rubbing it lightly. "Mom told me I could come back if I gave my baby up."

"And you've been living here since then?" He looked appalled. "How far along are you?"

"Sixteen weeks."

Shawn cursed under his breath with an exasperated sigh before giving Cory and Topanga confused looks.

"So you've been keeping Maya here since October, living in Riley's room and sharing her bed without any thoughts or consequence to where she'll be able to go after the baby is born?"

Maya was absolutely positive all three of them sitting on the bed stiffened in shock at the force of his words.

"Look, I know you guys mean well, but let's face it Cory and Topanga, you both are too close to the situation. You need to be real here. Are you going to keep letting Maya share a bed with Riley as she keeps growing? What happens when she can no longer really control her bladder? Or she gets really large and can't sleep comfortably in the same bed as Riley?"

"We'll buy her a new one?" Cory suggested.

"That's not the point." Shawn frowned. "What I'm saying is, right now, you have no qualms accommodating Maya because you haven't thought ahead, but what happens when she has the baby? Where is the baby going to stay? Where is _she_ going to stay? Are you guys planning on buying all the things she needs to care for this baby? Think about what raising Riley and Auggie was like. You know what babies entail. Not only do you have an extra mouth to feed because of Maya, but then you'll have _two_ extra mouths to feed. And what are you going to do? Just have her live with you in Riley's room as Maya raises the kid? Get real. All of you.

"This isn't a fairy tale. This is real life. Maya and her baby won't be able to live comfortably here. Especially as the baby starts to grow up."

"Shawn, I get what you're saying." Topanga said, "But you don't understand the situation. Maya literally has _nowhere else_ to go. What were we going to do? Leave her out on the streets while pregnant?"

"I know… I'm not saying you guys did the wrong thing. I'm just saying you're not thinking about what should actually happen." He turned to face Maya, his expression a little solemn. "Maya, it's very brave of you to decide to keep the baby, but look at the situation. Babies are a lot of work, and even though you might think you've got it under control right now, it will get difficult."

Shawn glanced at Topanga, "You of all people should know that more than ever. You juggled law school and Riley at the same time. Maybe you both don't remember how stressed you were, but I do. I remember you crying to Cory all the time. I remember you almost giving up your dream of a career in law because you thought mothering was too difficult to handle with full time studies. I remember how you guys struggled financially for quite a while before you joined the firm because having the baby sucked you dry."

"Shawn…" Cory started. "Although it was very hard, we had specific difficulties because we were on our own in New York. Maya has the father supporting her, her friends to take care of her, and all of us grownups to watch out for her and help her get through this."

"But can you really support her? You both will be stretched thin. You've already got Riley going to college next year. Can you really afford taking care of Maya _and_ the baby?" Shawn pressed. "Look Maya. Though I don't condone your mother giving you an ultimatum on whether you can go home, she has a point. Raising a child isn't a walk in the park. You'll have insane responsibilities with how you'll provide for your child, not just as a baby, but growing up as well. I'm talking food, clothes, schooling and all it entails. And what about the father? If he's supporting you, how do you want him in the life of your child? Do you want him to be active, because if that's the case, then you both will need to start thinking about finding a place of your own. Which will be expensive."

Maya looked down at the carpet again. She knew everything he was saying was right. He had a point. She just hadn't wanted to think about those things yet.

"You have it somewhat easy right now because of everyone helping you, but you need to remember that it's one thing to just say you can raise the baby and have the resolve to do so, but it's a whole other to execute it." Shawn sighed, looking a little conflicted. "I think how you're handling your pregnancy is pretty mature, but I don't know if I'm totally on board with you keeping the baby to raise."

Maya's eyes shot up to his in alarm, feeling her heart race. What was he saying? That he thought she should give up the baby? She could feel her eyes burning in the back and she berated herself once again for crying. But not having the approval of her mentor/uncle was like a stab in the hand with a knife.

"Shawn!" Topanga scolded when she felt Maya go rigid.

"Before you think I'm saying you should send the baby for adoption," he hastened to explain himself, "I'm not. This isn't _disapproval_. I'm just saying you have a lot of things to think about before you make up your mind on whether you should keep your baby. And you need to have a long conversation with this father so you can figure out what you're doing. Because you're almost half way through and you're running out of time. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

"I get it…" Maya muttered, wiping her eyes with her sleeve with a sniffle, "I get it… It's just kind of a shock to hear from you."

His gaze softened, and he gave her a soft smile, "Maya, I know it sounded a little rough. And I'm sorry if I hurt you, but this was something you needed to hear. I still will support you however I can help."

Maya nodded, giving him a small, watery smile. "I know. And thank you. You really put things into perspective."

"Just out of curiosity, who's the baby daddy?"

"That's not important." She responded quickly, eyeing Cory nervously who was starting to shift uncomfortably in his seat.

"Spill Maya." Shawn said, raising a brow.

"Lucas."

"The Texas boy?"

"Yeah…"

There was a long silence following her confession where Shawn's face dropped into a glower. For a split second, Maya was reminded of that moment more than a month ago when Cory had come to realize who had impregnated her. And she knew what was about to happen even before it did.

"…I'll be back." Shawn growled through grit teeth, shooting to his feet and storming out of Riley's room.

"Cory, go stop him!" Topanga said, face-palming.

"Right." Cory stood up and raced out of the door to dissuade Shawn from going after him.

Maya let out a sigh of relief, honestly so glad that Lucas had already left for Texas the day before.

"You know, Shawn really did mean well, even though I don't agree with some of the things he said." Topanga said, giving her a smile, "Even with a baby, Maya, we will be willing to help accommodate your needs."

"I know you would." Maya said, returning the smile as she laid back down on her side.

_Which is exactly why Jellybean and I won't burden you with our baggage once she's born._

"But one thing he is right about is how you're going to juggle school." Topanga continued, tugging off Maya's shoes to help her feel more comfortable. "I know you told me you're not going to college, but what about Lucas? What is he planning on doing?"

"I don't know. It's not something that's ever really come up in conversation." Maya knew he had decided to only apply to schools in or near New York City after he found out about the baby, but she wasn't really sure how that whole arrangement would work if he was going to try to raise Jellybean with her. "But I want him to finish his schooling and become a vet like he's wanted. I was originally planning to raise this kid on my own, but he just jumped aboard the train before I could figure out how he was going to be factored into the equation."

"Hmmm, I see." Topanga said gently, leaning over and smoothing Maya's hair out of her face as she yawned. "Then the next time you two talk, that's something you should figure out, okay?"

Maya nodded slowly, her eyes drooping shut as her exhaustion started to take over her body. All that walking around all day had made her body sore. And her lower back was starting to feel a little tight. And her feet were kind of aching. Damn she needed a nap.

"You think you'll be able to wake up for dinner?"

"…Doubt it." Maya mumbled.

"Do you want me to wake you up when it's time?"

Honestly, she wasn't really sure she wanted to have Christmas dinner with the rest of the Matthews. She knew they considered her family, and it didn't bother her to be a part of the celebration. Afterall, she was the Shawn to Riley's Cory. It wasn't that she didn't feel welcome. But her mother was spending her Christmas with a cold inside an empty apartment, and it just didn't feel right for her to enjoy herself.

"Eat without me. I'll be fine."

"On Christmas? You sure, Maya?"

Maya nodded again, letting out another loud yawn.

"Alright." Topanga said, standing up and walking to the door and cutting off the lights, "When you get hungry, there'll be food for you, sweetie."

"…thanks…" Maya muttered, snuggling further into the pillow.

The door closed softly behind Topanga, and Maya tried not to think too hard about all that had been discussed. It was weighing down her mind and making her worry a lot more than she had ever been. Even more than before she had decided to tell Lucas she was pregnant. She was scared. Maya knew what being pregnant entailed, but she'd forgotten about the part afterwards, where she would bring a child to the world and would have to actually raise a human into adulthood. She didn't think about all the changes that meant. She was actually responsible for the growth of another human now.

If she were to be completely honest with herself, she no longer felt so confident or ready for Jellybean to arrive.

~.~.~

Maya was roused from her loose, uncomfortable sleep by the loud ringer of her cellphone. Her eyes slid open tiredly, and she looked out the window, a little surprised to see that night had already fallen and the sky was dark. If she really focused her hearing, she could hear the patrons in the living room celebrating and chatting. Maya groaned a little when she felt a small tightening in her abdomen. A Braxton Hicks contraction, no doubt. She'd been getting them infrequently for a while now. She rolled over onto her side and it stopped.

Her stomach growled lightly. But she honestly didn't feel any pangs of hunger in particular. And quite honestly, she just wasn't in any mood to eat anything at the moment. Maybe some ice cream… But for the most part, she just felt lethargic and a little down in the dumps. And although she really was craving that ice cream, she just didn't feel like getting up and walking to the living room. She'd have to converse with people. And she just wanted to wallow.

She sighed when her phone ringtone started playing again and she slipped her hand in her bag beside the bed, picking up the phone to answer the call.

"Hello?" she said a little groggily, still trying to rub the sleepiness from her eyes.

_"Were you taking a nap? I tried calling you earlier, but you didn't pick up."_

And her heart started racing when she heard Lucas' amused voice through the phone. She sat up abruptly, feeling a blush rise on her face.

"I was trying to."

_"Sorry. Did I wake up?"_

"It's fine. I couldn't really sleep anyway. It's getting harder to find a decent position." Maya had always been a stomach sleeper, really. She wasn't used to sleeping on her back, but that was the only position she thought was appropriate. She didn't want to crush Jellybean accidentally. She was honestly scared to sleep on her side too, in case she accidentally rolled around and ended up on her belly.

_"Riley told me you were having trouble sleeping." _Lucas responded, sounding worried, _"Apparently you've been talking in your sleep about your mom."_

"Don't."

_"Don't what?"_

"You're doing that thing again where you worry about everything I do. Stop it, Huckleberry." She snapped. "You called me so many times today I almost threw my phone into the gutter. I hope this doting thing doesn't continue throughout second semester because I really am coming close to kicking your ass."

_"As far as I'm concerned,"_ he said in an annoyingly arrogant sounding tone, _"It's Papa Bear day. So your threats are unjustified."_

"Ten calls in one day though? We're supposed to be on vacation. I need a vacation from you!"

_"That's not going to happen." _He snorted. _"Anyway, how was your appointment?"_

"It was good." She grinned. "Jellybean's a girl."

_"We're having a girl?"_

Maya felt her cheeks burn. He hadn't said anything special in particular, but there was something about his tone, all excited and warm and loving and the fact that he had said _we_ that made her want to smile like an idiot.

"Yeah…" Maya whispered, laying her hand on her abdomen and gently rubbing it. "Our baby girl."

And suddenly, she was overcome with the wish that Lucas could be with her. That they could be cuddling together or something, sharing this moment and her heart swelled as she thought about how much she had really come to like him. It was a very intense type of want, one that made her palms sweaty and throat dry. It kind of scared her to be honest, and she took a huge gulp of air, trying to calm down.

"I…" she swallowed. "L-Lucas, umm…"

_"Maya?"_

"Lucas… I…"

_"Yes, Maya?"_

"I… I'm uh… I'm really happy you're here for me." she concluded, mentally berating herself for being so pathetic. How the hell hard was it to tell someone you liked them? Shit… this was just like revealing her pregnancy all over again. Except that a rejection from this would probably break her heart. "You'll make a great father to Jellybean."

_"You think so? I think I'd probably spoil her too much."_

Maya snorted. "That's exactly what I thought. You'd treat her like your little princess."

And then Maya remembered the daunting conversation she'd had with Shawn, Topanga, and Cory about where she was supposed to go from there. Her mood slipped a little.

She sighed. "Can I ask you something?"

_"What's wrong?"_

"Shawn found out about my pregnancy. And he gave me some serious advice. It just got me thinking." She paused. "Are we actually ready to raise a child and teach them about the world? It's one thing to talk about this like it's some game, but truthfully speaking, are we even ready to be parents?"

He was silent for a little spell, though she knew he was still on the phone because she could hear his breathing.

_"…Probably not."_ he responded honestly, _"But I don't think we're not ready at all though."_

"What?"

_"We haven't had too much time to think about stuff or do research, but that was because we were still coming to terms with the pregnancy. Now that things have more or less stabilized, I think if we start thinking about it, things will go alright."_

"But then there's the whole fact that we'll have to buy everything this baby needs."

_"So we'll get jobs. The animal shelter I volunteer at is looking for part-time workers. I'll apply."_

"And college?"

_"Honestly, I'm still working out the details for that, but I don't want to be that selfish father who leaves you to care for her while I'm off in classes all day." _He sighed. _"It might be best if I take a year off or something."_

"No…" Maya argued. "Lucas, you had a plan to become a vet before you found out about Jellybean. I don't want you to change everything you've already set."

_ "But if I continue school, you'd have to watch her by yourself during the day or at least until my classes are done."_

"And that's fine. I'm sure if the positions were reversed, you'd do the same for me in a heartbeat." Maya asserted. "I want you to get to vet school as soon as possible so you can reach your goals."

_"…I'll think about it, okay? But I really don't want to leave you by yourself."_

"I'm not some helpless animal, you know?"

_"I know you're not Maya."_ He agreed, snickering a bit, _"But what are you going to do if you can't get to the top of a cabinet or can't reach something up high?"_

"…How did I know you were going to crack those stupid jokes?"

Lucas laughed, and Maya shook her head in amusement. What was it about Lucas that always managed to cheer her up without any difficulty?

"You know, Shawn also brought up the living arrangement." Maya said, feeling the stupid blush start creeping up her neck once again, "I mean, if we're going to raise Jellybean together, we should live together, right?"

_"Uh…"_ Lucas cleared his throat, sounding a little flustered. _"Maybe we should talk about that in person when I get back."_

"Yeah." she said a little awkwardly, "That might be for the best."

_"In the meantime, we might have to start a financial planning list for everything baby related. It might be hard Maya, but I feel like we've got this under control."_

"You've been thinking about this a lot, haven't you?" Maya asked, feeling almost completely at ease. "How are you so sure of this parenting thing?"

_"Because believe it or not, I can actually see this working. Maybe we're being reckless, but despite the fact that Jellybean came along because we were careless, she's still our baby. And the only thing I want to see is her taking her first steps and saying her first words and growing up. That's enough for me to give my all for her."_

Maya sniffled, feeling herself start to get emotional. Stupid Lucas was warming her heart so much she felt like breaking down and crying. Lucas yawned after a few beats of silence.

_"Do you feel better now?"_ he asked, sounding particularly sleepy. _"You were doubting your ability to raise Jellybean, right?"_

"Yeah. I feel better." She smiled. "Why do you sound so tired, Huckleberry?"

_"Jet lag…"_

"That's ridiculous. You're one time zone away."

_"It always gets me…"_ He tapered off, his voice getting more quiet.

Maya didn't hear anything else from him and wondered if he had fallen asleep because he had gone silent.

"Hey Ranger Rick."

There was no response.

"Are you asleep?"

There was still no response.

Maya rolled her eyes. He would fall asleep in the middle of their conversation.

"You know, I thought this was Papa Bear day?" she snarked, "You're losing your hours if you sleep."

He didn't respond and Maya sighed. He really was asleep then. And then she felt a little emboldened by the fact that he wasn't awake.

"Okay, I'm only saying this because you're asleep. I honestly wish I could tell you to your face but I'm scared." Maya took a deep breath. "So here it is: I like you, Lucas. A _lot_. And I've liked you since homecoming, but probably even way before that because for the longest time, I've had this intense aggravating want to be near you at all times and I've been feeling this happiness with you for years, but I didn't know what it was back then, and I have no idea how to tell you because you're so stupid and attractive and stupidly attractive, and I don't want to burden you with how I feel about you. Merry Christmas."

There. She had said it. Even if he hadn't heard a word, that was a load off her chest.

_"You think your feelings would ever be a burden to me?" _

And Maya gasped sharply when Lucas responded. She had not been expecting an answer. Holy shit. Had he just heard everything she had said to him?

"Y-You weren't asleep?" she stuttered, appalled that he had heard her.

_"I stood up to close my door for a second." _

"Shit…"

_"You like me." _

She could just see the shit eating grin on his face through his voice.

"I only said it because—"

_"Do you know how long I've been holding back on telling you how I felt?"_ Lucas said, sounding extremely happy. _"I waited so long to tell you until you were ready or at least you acknowledged your own feelings. Maya. I like you too. A lot. I've liked you since junior year even when you were still dating that dumbass Jeffrey. Hell even before that."_

Maya's pulse started racing.

_"I meant what I said that night, you know. I want you. All of you."_

She opened her mouth to speak and then snapped it shut, her face erupting in a deep blush at the implication of his words.

"Wh-what are you saying?" she stuttered out, "You don't know what you're saying right now."

_"I know exactly what I'm saying. I said I want you. Whether you choose to accept that or not is your decision, but I heard you say you like me, and I know you reciprocate."_

Maya tried to control herself and the situation and forced her face to be neutral.

"Okay. So we like each other. It's not that big of a deal…"

_"I was just kind of hoping when I told you, it could have been in person so I could kiss you right afterwards."_

A bout of fresh red lit up her cheeks once again and she almost dropped the phone, her hand shaking at the idea.

_"But it's no matter." _His voice dropped so he was speaking softly, deliberately slowly and Maya almost gasped. If she closed her eyes, it felt like he was right beside her ear, whispering intimately to her. _"Because as soon as I see you, the first thing I'm going to do is kiss you."_

"What?" She was a little shocked by how forward he was being. "Okay, are you drunk?"

_"No. And I mean it. I don't care where we are Maya. As soon as I find you, I'm going to kiss the fuck out of you like I've always wanted to since that night."_

She squirmed in her seated position, her eyes wide and body tingling from his words. Lucas was unintentionally turning her on and it was a shock, because she hadn't felt any arousal in several weeks now. What the hell had he done to her?

"We'll see about that, Huckleberry." she said, not altogether playfully. She really was planning on hiding from him. She was nervous dammit! Give her a break. Lucas had just flipped her world over on its axis. She still was finding it hard to believe that he actually liked her. "I could just avoid you again."

_"I know you will."_ he said, treacherously low, _"But that's not going to stop me."_

Her breath hitched, and he chuckled softly.

_"Maya, I have to go. My dad wants me downstairs. But, I'll call you in a week."_

"Okay." she said, voice barely above a whisper.

She hung up the phone with slightly wide eyes after Lucas ended the call. She was a little mortified if she thought about the end of their conversation, and her pulse was racing a bit faster than was normal. Lucas _liked_ her? It was just so hard to believe, especially when she was Maya the Screw Up. But part of her knew that it was true. Deep down, she had always known how he felt about her. She just never wanted to acknowledge it.

But shit.

Despite how confidently Maya carried herself, being kissed by Lucas scared the shit out of her. It was one thing for him to kiss her when drunk, but another completely sober where she would remember everything about it. Would she even be able to breathe after the fact?

With a long, deep intake of breath, Maya made up her mind.

She would avoid him like the plague.

Who cared if her cut and run method was cowardly? She was _terrified_. This was the first guy she had ever liked this much. And he reciprocated. _And_ he wanted to kiss her and though she'd always dreamed of kissing Lucas several times, she was not ready.

The door opened, and Riley poked her head in.

"Maya? You awake? We all missed you at dinner."

"I'm awake." Maya said, clearing her throat, "And I just wasn't hungry."

Riley walked in and flicked the lights on.

"What's wrong? Your face is red." Riley sat beside her, lightly placing her hand on her forehead.

"I accidentally confessed…" Maya muttered quietly. "Lucas told me he liked me back."

"About time." Riley rolled her eyes, laying back on the bed.

"Wait." Maya followed suit, giving Riley an odd look. "You knew? You knew he liked me this whole time?"

"Well… During homecoming, he asked to dance with you. And he was looking at you like you were his whole world... I kind of made the connection when I remembered what he had said about the girl he wanted to be with."

"Was I really oblivious this whole time…?" Maya muttered, suddenly feeling very shy all of a sudden. But really, she hadn't been oblivious, had she? She'd had a feeling he liked her. She had just chosen to ignore it.

"You're so cute Maya." Riley gushed, playfully pinching her cheek. "Well, what did you say?"

She swatted Riley's hand away. "I told him I was going to hide."

"Maya, really? You already tried this whole avoiding thing before. You know how that turned out."

"Riley, I'm scared. He was saying all this stuff how he wanted all of me–"

Riley squealed, covering her mouth in excitement, and Maya blushed, embarrassed by the words once again.

"–and he all but said he was going to hunt me down when we got back from break."

"Maya and Lucas sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G." Riley teased, "First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in the…"

Maya side-eyed her, raising a brow, and Riley chuckled nervously, realizing what she had just said.

"Oh." She grinned, "I guess that's a little inappropriate to sing…"

Maya rolled her eyes and turned on her side so she was facing Riley.

"Nevermind my Lucas problem right now. I'm worried, Riles."

"About what?" Riley asked.

"The future used to look kind of bright, but now it's just so unclear and foggy that I'm scared." Maya muttered, staring at the lopsided reindeer on Riley's Christmas sweater. "What's going to happen when I have this baby…"

"I can't give you any answers Maya. Because I don't know…" Riley said, tracing the jagged lines of the ceiling with her eyes, "We can't predict the future. But I know whatever happens, everything will work out."

She rolled onto her side too and took Maya's hand with a warm smile. "It's okay to be scared. I'm scared for you too. But you have us all to support you so that you won't have to go through this alone."

"Riley, you're the best, you know?" Maya smiled. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome." Riley glanced down at Maya's abdomen. "By the way, how was the appointment?"

"It went great. Also, Jellybean's a girl."

Riley squealed happily, "Yes! Do you know what this means? Late night gossiping with my goddaughter about cute boys!"

"Settle down there, Riley." Maya drawled, "She won't even be old enough to be thinking about boys for a _long_ time."

Riley giggled. "Sorry. Got a little ahead of myself there."

"So? Got any suggestions for the name, then?"

"I have a few I've thought about." Riley's brows furrowed as she thought about it. "But it doesn't feel right yet. I'll think of the perfect one and then I'll let you know. I want it to be special. One that means something important for you."

"Alright then. I'm looking forward to hearing the name you choose."

Riley sighed. "Things are really going to be different from here on out, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess so." Maya responded, "That's life for you."

Riley nodded and they laid there in silence for a few moments, lost in their thoughts.

"Oh. By the way, I have your present." Maya said, breaking the silence after a while.

"Good." Riley grinned. "I have yours too."

"Count of three?"

"Yupp."

"One, two, three."

They let go of each other, turning over their respective sides of the bed to pick up their present for the other. Maya pulled up the mosaic portrait from her bag and lifted it to her lap, sitting up slowly to make sure it didn't get damaged. As soon as Riley sat back up as well, they immediately traded gifts, eyes closed so they wouldn't ruin the surprise.

"You first." Maya said, peeking at Riley out of the corner of her squinted eye.

Riley opened her eyes and gasped as she looked at the gift. Her eyes filled with tears as she stared at it and she shook her head slowly.

"Maya, this is incredible…" she glanced at her, a few tears falling down her cheeks, "You made this for me?"

"So you wouldn't forget me when you were off on your college adventure."

"Maya, how will I ever be able to live without you?" Riley blubbered, and then she let out a laugh, "Look at my gift to you."

Maya opened her eyes and looked at the thing in her hand.

It was the fair photo from when they were children. The original one that Maya thought had been lost ages ago. They'd gotten each other the same gift. In different form, but the same.

Maya could feel her fingers shaking a little bit. "How did you…"

"I know you were bummed about it being lost, so I looked everywhere for it. Found it. So that even while I'm off on my college adventure, you know I'll always be thinking about you."

Maya knew her eyes were welling with tears well before they started to tumble down her cheeks. She whimpered slightly and dropped her head into the crook Riley's shoulder, wrapping her arms around her neck.

"Maya, you're making me cry harder." Riley said, her voice quivering as she reciprocated the hug.

Maya laughed and sobbed into Riley's shoulder.

"These are at least happy tears right?" Riley sniffled, "Please tell me these are at least happy tears?"

"They're bittersweet."

Fuck, Maya hated being an emotional wreck.

She and her mother had both broken promises to each other, and Katy had deserted her. Maya honestly didn't know when or how their relationship would finally mend. But at least she knew she could count on a constant: Riley being in her life.

She was so lucky to have all these caring people in her life to help her and take care of her. And though the absence of her mother and lack of her mother's support left a gaping hole in her heart, everyone was working hard to fill it up.

And that meant more to her than anything else in the world.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hey Englandgal! I'm actually Belgian :3 But that's a funny coincidence! I guess I say 'bum' because that's actually the first word for butt I learned, so it feels more natural to me xD And Hi Guest! 'Enceinte' is 'pregnant' in French :)**

**So we've just about reached the halfway mark of this story now! And now we're at ****Part II of Maya's pregnancy! *flings confetti***** There won't be any more flashbacks. And things are really going to be picking up speed now x3 Also, I cut this chapter in half for reasons because I'm trying to diminish the whole long af chapters thing... It makes this story so much harder to write. I mean shit, the last chapter was almost 10K and took me two days to write -_-; **

**And finally, just for easier visuals, Maya has a bump, but it's not _that_ big yet, though it's easily visible. In other words, she looks like she's pregnant, but she's not big enough that it impedes her day to day activities and wears her out. Big, baggy sweaters can still completely cover up her bump.**

**And apologies for the last chapter everyone :) I know the up and downness of the mood was a bit much, but eheheh if it felt like it was up and down and all over, then I accomplished what I set out to do! Thanks for the reviews and lovely lovely comments on the story! I appreciate it! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own GMW, but Lucaya is bae.**

* * *

"Welcome back from break everyone. I hope you had a good winter holiday." Mr. Weatherly announced, setting his briefcase on the desk in the front. "I have your winter exams…"

Maya sat stiffly in her seat, twiddling her thumbs nervously and checking the door every few seconds for Lucas to come in the class. She'd been rounding corners carefully all day, watching out for the tall Texan and making sure she couldn't get caught off guard. This was the only class she had with him, but she couldn't skip today because she needed to get her exam back.

But class had already started and the seat next to her still wasn't occupied.

It wasn't like Lucas to be absent though. Maybe he'd caught a late flight. Sometimes he came back from Texas late and missed a bit of school and would show up later in the day. But Bio was the last class of the day in the class period rotation schedule that day and he hadn't yet made an appearance.

Mr. Weatherly dropped an exam in front of Maya, and she was jolted out of her reverie.

"Miss Hart. Incredible work." He drawled in his standard monotone. Then he placed an exam in front of Riley with a snide look. "Perhaps you would do well to study a bit more next time, Miss Matthews."

He walked on and Maya turned around with a frown.

"I thought you said you got an A?" Maya said.

"I did!" Riley whispered back, pointing to the A- beside the 91 on her exam. "I don't understand."

"Miss Matthews." Mr. Weatherly scolded from somewhere in the back of the class. "Let's not have this chatting thing continue the rest of the semester."

Riley pouted and ducked her head down dejectedly, and Maya made a mental note to buy Riley ice cream this whole week for getting her in trouble. Maya knew Mr. Weatherly didn't like Riley because she had accidentally run into him at lunch one day and smashed her spaghetti on his shirt, but damn. He didn't even try to hide his dislike.

Class went by without any disruptions, and Maya tried to focus on what was happening, but her head just wasn't in it. She had to go to work today (she'd ended up accepting Missy's offer and had started over break), and despite the fact that she had checked off 'get a job' on her Jellybean preparation list, she knew that she wasn't anywhere near done yet. There was still the issue of figuring out what to do once she was born.

Which she had to discuss with Lucas.

Which meant she would have to talk to him face to face.

Which meant he was going to kiss her.

Which she was trying to avoid by hiding from him.

Which was a problem because she had to discuss the Jellybean issue with him!

Maya sighed and ran her hand through her hair tiredly. This kind of stress could not be good for her.

She turned around in her seat.

"Any of you seen Lucas today?"

"He wasn't in Calc." Riley said robotically, eyes staring straight ahead.

"He wasn't in Physics." Farkle said, looking down at his exam, though he shifted nervously in his seat.

"Okay…" Maya's eyes narrowed and she turned back to the front, knowing her friends were both acting undeniably weird. A simple no would have sufficed.

If Lucas really wasn't in school then she supposed that meant that she could let her guard down.

She was kind of disappointed. Sure, she wanted to hide from him, but she also wanted to see him, especially since he'd been gone all break. He'd called her once more on New Year's and they hadn't really talked about anything in particular, but it had made her wish he was there in person. Especially when his voice took on that low, even tone that always made goosebumps rise on her neck.

She squirmed uncomfortably in her seat, feeling a sudden flash of heat run through her body and pool between her legs when she thought of Lucas. It'd been happening more frequently recently, and it annoyed her because she wasn't really sure what to do to get rid of it.

Well, she _knew_. It just wasn't ever enough.

Maya sighed and spent the rest of class trying not to think about her crazy body and how it wouldn't listen to her anymore. At least the morning sickness had, for the most part, subsided, and she was feeling much more energetic after that taxing first trimester of fatigue, vomit, and terrible bloating. But her needing to run to the bathroom to urinate frequently hadn't changed and it was starting to bug her.

The bell rang, and Maya stood up with her friends, a smile on her face because she was happy that the last class of the day was finally over. She slipped her notebook into her bookbag and made her way out of the classroom, filing out behind other students in the class.

"Riley, you want to hang out a bit before I have to head to work?" she asked as she walked with Farkle and Riley towards the door, "Like get ice cream or something?"

"I wish I could, but I have to run an errand for my dad."

Farkle yanked out his notepad, scribbling in it quickly. "So the cold weather still doesn't deter your craving for ice cream."

Maya walked out of the classroom ahead of the two of them, rolling her eyes in annoyance.

"Farkle, enough with being the pregnant girl creeper." He had quite literally shown up multiple times at the Matthews' apartment throughout the break asking her random—and some pretty inappropriate—questions about the state of her pregnancy.

"Can't help it. Someone has to keep tabs on you."

"Look I'm… fine…"

She subsequently froze, her brows rising in surprise.

Because there, leaning on the lockers across from the classroom door was Lucas, arms crossed in front of his chest and a brow raised in amusement.

"I'm surprised you didn't try to run after school." Lucas said, a playful smile tugging on his lips, "I thought you'd make the chase a bit harder, Maya."

Shit. She had completely forgotten how easily he tended to corner her if he so chose. A spark of fear ran down her back—fear and something else that made her tingle in excitement—and she took a giant step back, only to bump into Riley and Farkle who were flanking her on both sides, clearly keeping her from escaping. They had planned this.

"What the hell!" she said in surprise, when she realized she was actually trapped, "You traitors."

"Maya, just let it happen." Riley said, "Stop being so scared."

And her cheeks erupted in a blush when Lucas pushed off the lockers and approached her. She felt her pulse race impossibly fast.

"Riley this isn't funny." She stammered, eyes wide as she spun around to face the two of them.

"It's just a kiss Maya." Farkle rolled his eyes. "I mean sheesh. You're acting like you're about to lose a limb."

There was a small crowd gathering around the area now, wondering what the spectacle with the pregnant girl and Lucas was. Not only that, since everyone was done with classes for the day, the students walking by had begun to grow larger.

"Maya." Lucas said behind her.

And Maya closed her eyes, feeling her flush start crawling up her neck. Why was she so scared of a simple kiss? She liked him and he liked her. And it wasn't like it was her first kiss with him (though it was the first she would remember well). But damn, she was _scared_.

"Can't you just reschedule Huckleberry?" she said somewhat playfully, staring at Riley's necklace to give her something to keep her mind off of the fact that she couldn't run.

"So you can leave the country?" he snorted, gently taking hold of her wrist. Goosebumps erupted up her arm at the feather light touch. "I don't think so."

"It's just a kiss Maya." Riley said, an encouraging smile on her face. "And you've been fantasizing about this for two weeks now."

"I have not!"

"Yeah you have." Farkle drawled, "You can see it in your face. Not to mention all the things you told me about your—"

She snapped her gaze to his, shooting him a ferocious glare that had him shutting his mouth quickly with a yelp.

Lucas tugged on her wrist, turning her around so she was facing him and she immediately dropped her gaze to the floor, resolutely staring at a crack in the tiles. Lucas chuckled, stepping closer to her and he took her hand, intertwining their fingers together.

"Does it really bother you that much?" he asked softly, lifting her chin up so her gaze was on him.

Maya's pulse immediately skyrocketed, and she let out a long breath, trying to find it in herself to calm down.

"…No. But—"

And Lucas leaned down, pressing his lips to hers softly before she could say another word. Maya took in a sharp breath, caught off guard by the action. He moved his mouth slowly against hers, gently coaxing her out of her stupor and with a soft sigh, she pushed up to her tip toes, wrapping her other arm around his neck and returning it. He smiled a bit against her lips before dragging her closer and kissing her more firmly.

It was magic, the way his mouth melded with hers. It felt perfect and amidst the catcalling students and whoops and hollers, she grew dizzy from his scent, the taste of his mouth, and his arm around her waist, holding her gingerly against him. And somewhere among the butterflies fluttering in her stomach and electricity dancing through her body, something in her shifted. The kiss stirred something deep within her that had been absent for quite a while and she involuntarily pressed herself closer to him, her knees a little weak and her heart battering wildly in her chest.

When Lucas pulled away, Maya gazed up at him, blinking in surprise at how easily she'd been affected by the simple kiss. She felt prickly and tingly and entirely too warm.

"I knew you would try to run." Lucas said, laughing under his breath, his other arm wrapping around her. "I was right to skip class."

"You skipped class just so you could catch me?"

"I told you I was going to kiss you when I saw you. And I wasn't going to let anything stop me."

"You're such a Huckleberry." She said, a light blush springing to her cheeks. "Why?"

"I already told you. Because I like you, Maya."

And then he kissed her chastely one more time, before pulling away and resting his forehead against hers, his eyes soft and caring. She bit her lower lip to keep the giddy laugh building in her chest from escaping.

"Yeesh. Get a room you two." Riley said with a goofy grin, though she pulled out her phone and snapped a quick picture. Farkle rose a brow in question. "For the baby album."

"Isn't a baby album supposed to be photos of the baby?"

"Pictures of the baby _including_ from the pregnancy stage."

"Maya, you're shivering." Lucas said softly, cupping her cheek and kissing her again.

"Hormones…" she said. It wasn't exactly a lie. Every time she inhaled more of Lucas's scent, she felt a ripple of heat travel through her body.

Farkle shook his head in amusement, "Well, my work here is done. I'm heading to robotics. See you guys tomorrow."

"And I'm going home." Riley said, giving Maya a quick pat on the shoulder, "Call me when you're heading home."

Riley and Farkle walked away, waving at their friends goodbye. The crowd had also pretty much dispersed by that point. When Maya brought her gaze back to Lucas, he had his eyes focused solely on her, lips quirked up in a content smile. Maya felt her cheeks redden.

"You know…" she said, pushing against his chest to get out of his tight embrace, a little embarrassed by the attention he was giving her, "I have work today. You're going to have to let me go eventually."

"I know." But he didn't move.

She rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Well if you're not going to let me go, than can we at least walk to my locker so I can get my stuff?"

"I think that's manageable." He had a shit-eating grin on his face that annoyed Maya, but also made her feel some kind of bliss.

He unlatched his arms from around her, but took her hand, walking with her towards her locker.

"You're such a coddler!" she said in annoyance, "If this is what you're like now, I definitely don't want to know what you'll be like when I'm in my last few weeks."

"You're never leaving my sight." Lucas replied seriously, his hand squeezing hers a little more tightly. "I'll be in your face twenty-four seven."

Maya groaned, knowing he wasn't lying about that. He really wouldn't leave her alone, and she vaguely wondered if she should find somewhere to hide out during her last trimester.

They arrived at her locker, and she reached up to twist her combination, Lucas leaning on the lockers beside her.

"What time do you get off work?"

"I'm not telling you." Maya said, eyeing him in annoyance as she swung open her locker, "I know you're going to show up."

"That's fine." He rose a slightly threatening brow. "I can just show up and stay there the whole time until you're done, you know?"

She gave him a look. Damn, Lucas could be scary sometimes. She was starting to realize that maybe it was impossible to avoid him or escape his clutches.

"But the reason I asked you is because I told my mom about the pregnancy this morning."

Maya stiffened, swallowing and licking her lips nervously. She glanced at Lucas, but his gaze was a little shielded. He was purposely keeping his expression guarded so she couldn't pick up anything from it.

"…Well what did she say?" Maya dug through her locker, pulling out her art supplies and stuffing them into her bag to try to appear indifferent. The reality was that her pulse had skipped in speed, and she was suddenly feeling very apprehensive.

Lucas stared at their conjoined hands, "She wants you to come over for dinner tonight at seven to talk."

Maya rose a brow, glancing at him in confusion as she slammed her locker shut. "What? Tonight?"

Lucas nodded. "She told me to make sure you come over no matter what or she would track you down herself."

She grew nervous. "Why does it have to be tonight?"

"My mom understood why I kept silent for so long, but she's mad that you're eighteen weeks in and she just now found out. So she wants to meet you as soon as possible."

Maya stayed silent, looking at the ground in worry. It was too soon. She hadn't had enough time to prepare. It was one thing to tell people who she knew and who she was well-acquainted with, but it was a whole other to tell someone who could easily forbid Lucas from being involved with her. What would Maya do if Mrs. Friar decided she didn't want her son involved in the pregnancy? She tried to swallow the fear down, but Lucas caught the look and pulled her in front of him, lightly setting his hands on her waist.

"Maya, there's nothing to be afraid of. I'll be right there too."

"I know…" She rested her hands on his chest. "I'm just a little nervous."

He brought his hand up to her face, thumb lightly caressing her cheek. It spread warmth through her entire body. "She'll love you, Maya. I know she will."

She hoped he was right. Because she had a sinking feeling that quite possibly, Lucas being active in Jellybean's life might be contingent on his mother approving of her in the first place. She'd seen movies before where the wife was at odds with the mother-in-law and the husband, more often than not, sided with his mother. She didn't want to be in a situation like that.

"And later, we can talk about all the stuff that we need to plan for Jellybean's arrival."

"Okay."

Lucas leaned down, giving her a soft peck. It was gentle and sweet and their lips barely brushed together, but it still managed to excite her. Lucas pulled back, smiling a little deviously when her eyes fluttered slowly open.

"I'll see you tonight?" He asked.

She nodded, a little dazed and light headed. He let go of her and walked away and she stared after him a little anxiously. Lucas had been trying to reassure her that meeting his mother would be fine. But Maya wasn't so sure.

Simply put: Lucas had impregnated her.

Maya was pretty sure any mother would see the_ girl_ as some diabolic seductress or vixen who lured their precious son into fornication.

And she was scared Mrs. Friar would be no exception.

~.~.~

"You're _glowing_. Like actually. This pregnancy's been good to you." Missy said, smiling as she glanced at Maya, "Something good happen at school?"

Maya rose a brow, casting Missy a look. She didn't believe a word of that hokey bullshit. She felt particularly disgusting. And she was pretty sure she looked hideous. Her skin felt oily, her hair was stringy and weighing down on her head, not to mention the little spell of sickness she'd had right after arriving at work a few hours ago.

"Not particularly." She finally responded.

"Lies." Missy said simply, kicking her feet back and forth as she reclined on the employee break room table. She popped some Cheez-Its into her mouth. "I heard about Lucas wooing you in the middle of the hall today. What was it like?"

"I don't want to talk about this." Maya said, pulling her school bag out of their shared employee locker and fighting her blush as she remembered the way he had kissed her.

"Because you loved it, right?" she sassed, picking up her phone to respond to a text she had received.

"Okay so maybe I really enjoyed it. We're still not talking about this right now."

Missy started laughing at the slightly flustered expression on Maya's face, and Maya rolled her eyes, tugging out her coat from the locker too. She had about thirty minutes to get to the Friar's residence on time. Thankfully, Lucas lived only a seven or so minute walk from Royals so she wouldn't get too exhausted heading there.

"You know. I've been meaning to tell you for a while now, but you need to go up a bra size." Missy pointed out.

Maya looked down at her chest in confusion, taken aback by Missy's sudden comment. Her bust looked the exact same to her.

"I do not."

"Yeah you do. You're spilling out of your bra. I can tell through the outline of your shirt. They're way too big now for that bra." Missy waggled her eyebrows. "Though I'm sure Lucas probably appreciates it."

Maya couldn't have stopped the blush that painted her cheeks even if she tried. "Missy _stop_."

"Are you guys together now? You're so cute. Yearbook Club wants to put you two in a couple's superlatives, like 'Mr. and Mrs. John Quincy Adams High' or 'Most Likely To Have Thirty Kids Before Thirty' or something like that."

"We're not together." Maya said.

Quite honestly, she didn't actually know _what_ they were. They liked each other and they'd kissed, but they hadn't actually said anything about the status of their relationship. And Maya was a little scared to ask. Something told her Lucas would want to make her his girlfriend, and to be honest, she had reservations. The word wife briefly popped into her head, and she quickly shut the thought down.

"So when are you going to make it official?" Missy asked curiously, picking up her phone again.

"Aren't you supposed to be working right now?" Maya redirected the question with a raised brow.

"I'm on break." She shrugged.

Maya rolled her eyes as she tugged on her coat. Working at Royals with Missy made Maya realize that she had one of the worst work ethics Maya had ever seen. It was honestly very surprising to see Missy this way. At school, she was very straight-laced, very stiff, and seemed absolutely put together. Even after being co-workers for two weeks, it still surprised Maya how lazy and laid-back Missy could be.

"Alright. I'm going."

"Why are you leaving so early today anyway?" Missy asked, popping another Cheez-It in her mouth as she grinned at a text she received.

"I'm having dinner with Lucas' mom tonight."

Missy paused, her hand halfway to her mouth, and turned to stare at Maya in surprise. She set her phone slowly down on the table.

"Oh my God. He told her about the baby?"

Maya nodded. "She set a dinner for tonight."

"And you're going to go looking like that?" Missy frowned, slightly in disgust.

Maya shot her a glare. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing? It's normal."

And it was. Sure black leggings and a giant sweater weren't anything special, but it wasn't particularly sloppy either. It was chill.

"That's exactly it. Aren't you trying to make his mom think you're good enough for her son? Something normal is so not going to cut it."

Maya rolled her eyes. She disagreed, but she knew Missy wouldn't let it go until she addressed her.

"Then what do you suggest?" she sighed. "And hurry up. I have to leave soon."

"Wear a nice dress. Leggings are cute and all, but you need to make a good first impression otherwise she'll already see you in a bad way. After you're acquainted, then you can be as sloppy as you want." Missy hopped off the table, opening the locker and rummaging through her purse. "Lucas and his mom are close, right? You know she probably dotes on her son. If she thinks you're a hooligan out to snatch her baby boy, you'll be kissing any relationship between the two of you goodbye. And that won't bode well for Missy Jr."

Maya groaned, leaning against the wall and running her hand through her hair in frustration.

"Those are exactly the thoughts I had earlier today too… But I don't have anything else to wear." Maya said, "And Jellybean's name is not going to be Missy Jr."

Missy closed the locker after pulling out her debit card and waving it around.

"You don't have a monthly employee discount yet, so I'm going to do you a favour and use mine for you." Missy shrugged when Maya gave her a questioning look. "They have nice dresses here. Let me go buy you something. Wait here."

"Fine…" Maya grumbled. "You're annoying."

"You love me." Missy teased as she walked out of the break room to go get the outfit.

Maya waited patiently in the break room, quickly sending Lucas a text letting him know she would be on her way soon. She knew she was feeling the trepidation as soon as her phone showed 'message sent' on the screen. It was nervewracking. She hadn't realized just how much though because now it was finally starting to hit her that she was about to _meet Lucas' mother_.

What if she really didn't like her?

What if she didn't approve of Maya's relationship—whatever it was—with Lucas?

Missy reappeared after a few more minutes with a nice, simple royal blue dress.

"Put it on."

As Maya obliged, slipping out of her own clothes and pulling it on, Missy rummaged through her bag in the locker once again. Maya looked down at herself. It was a near perfect fit. It was long sleeved with a gentle scoop neck that didn't particularly accentuate cleavage. It had a cinched waist, but it was loose and stretchy enough that Maya's belly could breathe. The dress cut off just around her knees. Missy observed her selection with a nod of her head.

"You look great. It really brings out your eyes." Missy smiled, "I should dress you up more often."

Maya rose a sarcastic brow, but stooped to put her boots back on. When she stood up, Missy was holding out a panty liner at Maya.

"And wear this. You don't want accidental piss trailing down your leg while at dinner because of your crazy bladder, do you?"

Maya snatched it out of her hand with a frown. "I swear, you and Farkle are the _creepiest_ people ever. Why do you know so much about my pregnancy?"

"I did research." She shrugged. "Clearly, you don't take care of yourself right. So I'm doing my part."

"Did Ranger Rick put you up to this?"

It sounded right up his alley.

"While he has been asking me about how you're holding up at work, I made this decision on my own, because let's face it Maya. You're a mess. And you really need help."

"Gee thanks."

"Oh no problem." She snarked back, ripping up a scrap sheet of paper and scribbling on it before digging in Maya's school bag and pulling out her wallet. "I'm putting an IOU in your wallet so you remember to pay me back for the dress."

Maya was in the process of stuffing her clothes into her school bag when Missy _awww_'ed. Maya frowned and turned to face her and saw she was looking at the photo in her wallet. The photobooth picture she had kept of Lucas smiling at her and holding her hands. It was funny that now that she knew he liked her, she understood what that look on his face had been. Come to think of it, now she understood why his face had taken on that look after homecoming and pretty much every time he walked her home. Had she really been that dense that she couldn't notice it?

"This is adorable. You guys need to get married already; you're already like a husband and wife."

Maya sighed and took the wallet and picture out of Missy's hands, putting it in its proper place before sliding it into her school bag.

"Alright, it's about time I headed out." Maya said, tugging on her coat. "There's only so much of you I can take per day."

Missy laughed, "Call me if you need some advice. Like on how to get your husband in the mood. I'm sure if you just flashed him though, it would work."

"I'm pretty sure I'm _never_ going to call you for advice, but thanks anyway."

"Good luck with Mama Friar."

"Thanks." Maya gathered up her bag and left the break room. "See you tomorrow."

She made a quick stop in the employee bathroom to empty her bladder and put on the panty liner, but once she was done with that, she bid farewell to some other workers and made her way out of the store.

She walked down the sidewalk, heading to the Friar's complex. It was a little bit of a walk, but nothing too strenuous so by the time she got there, she wasn't feeling drained. Though she was feeling the pressure. This was it. She was about to officially meet the other grandmother of Jellybean. Her approval was definitely a necessity.

There was an old man leaving the complex when Maya approached, and she thanked him as he held the door open for her to pass through. She made her way up the stairs to Lucas' floor, her palms growing more and more sweaty and clammy the closer she got.

And then she was there.

Maya approached the door, talking a deep breath for a second and mentally wishing that Mrs. Friar deemed her good enough for her son.

She lifted her hand and knocked on the door, holding her breath and hoping this would go well.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:**** Urgh I cut this damn chapter from the previous one and it still ended up being 8K words... So I ended up splicing a handful of scenes from this chapter because it was dragging, and I had NO idea how to end this chapter, so if it seems choppy, SORRY BUT I COULDN'T LOOK AT THIS STUPID CHAPTER ANYMORE.  
**

**19 HOURS. FOR 19 HOURS I WROTE THIS CHAPTER. FTS.  
**

**Thank you for the reviews! I thank you for reading this story! It means a lot to me that you're taking a chance on a preggo story. I hope it's been enjoyable for you! :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own GMW, but Lucaya is bae.**

* * *

Maya heard feet approaching the door, and she was so tempted to cut and run that she had to momentarily grip the wall to keep her feet bolted to the floor. The lock of the apartment door unlatched, and she held her breath.

_Alright. Here we go_.

The door swung open to Lucas with a smile on his face, and Maya released the breath she had been holding, actually pretty glad that it had been Lucas to open the door.

"Oh man… I thought you were going to be your mom." Maya muttered, taking Lucas' hand when he reached out to tug her in. He took her school bag and set it down beside the door.

"I figured you'd rather have a familiar face greet you." Lucas turned around after shutting the door and setting the lock.

He took her in slowly, his gaze darkening the slightest bit. Then Lucas wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close, his other hand tangling into her hair. Maya's breath caught from the look in his eyes.

"And I wanted to do this."

He leaned down and claimed her mouth in a sweet kiss, drawing out a soft groan from her lips. She didn't know what it was about Lucas, but he always managed to ignite a crazy fire in her that she couldn't ignore no matter how hard she tried. Maya clutched at his shoulders, her head growing light as he slowly drove her insane from the warmth of his mouth.

She'd needed this. It really helped eradicate some of the trepidation she'd been feeling.

And then someone cleared their throat loudly behind Maya before speaking in a somewhat thick Western country accent.

"I asked you to get the door, Lucas. I don't recall asking you to makeout with our house guest right in front of it."

Lucas pulled away from Maya rather abruptly, his eyebrows lifting in surprise and muscles stiffening almost immediately. Maya glanced up at his face, staring at his mother somewhere behind Maya with a look of trepidation in his eyes. Maya couldn't see her, but from the tone of her voice, she knew exactly why Lucas looked so put off. There was ice cold frost in her voice.

An ice cold that reminded Maya of her own mother's disapproval right before she had kicked her out.

A fear gripped her heart.

"I'm sorry, ma'am." Lucas said, his hold on Maya tightening the slightest bit.

"Where are your manners? I taught you better than that." His mother said, sounding peeved. "Well? Introduce me, or you're going in the shed."

Lucas let go of Maya, and she turned around to face his mother. The first thing Maya registered was that Mama Friar was a tall woman, her dirty blonde hair piled on top of her head in a sloppy bun. The second thing? The fact that she had her arms crossed in front of her chest and was wearing a _bathrobe _and house slippers. Maya wasn't sure what she had expected—maybe some expensive designer dress, fully coiffed hair, and completely done up makeup—but she sure as hell knew a woman in a bathrobe was not it.

Maya swallowed thickly, already feeling herself grow nervous as Lucas' mother rose a brow. She took a small step back unconsciously and bumped into Lucas. He put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly, though she wasn't sure if it was more to reassure her or himself.

"Mama, this is Maya Hart."

His mother eyed Maya for a second before her gaze settled on Maya's abdomen. Though her hazel eyes weren't particularly expressing warmth, strangely, Maya didn't sense any disdain or disgust in her expression. Just an intrigued curiosity.

But Maya couldn't let her guard down. She had just been caught kissing Lucas. By his _mother_. She'd already made a terrible first impression on someone's parent, and she hadn't had to utter a word to do that. That had to be a new record.

"Maya, was it?" Mrs. Friar smiled and walked forward, reaching out her hand to shake Maya's. Maya took it carefully, and his mother gripped it tightly. "I'm Delilah Friar. Most everyone just calls me Lila though. It's nice to meet the other half of this unplanned teenage pregnancy."

It was a particularly harsh statement, and Maya definitely felt the jab at them both, but Mrs. Friar was still smiling congenially. It was hard to tell if she was joking or not.

"Uh… the pleasure is all mine?" Maya said, uncertain how to respond to her.

Lila stared pensively at Maya for a moment, and Maya stared up at her, completely unable to tell what was going through the woman's mind. There was something really chill about her (hell, the woman was wearing a _bathrobe_), but also something authoritative and maybe a little frightening that made Maya nervous. But Maya was honestly glad she had Lucas there with her, because Mama Friar was one intimidating woman.

Maya wondered if Lila saw her as some kind of gold digger. Maya and her mother scraped by on life, while clearly Lucas was well to do, but she didn't like Lucas because of that. He was honestly one of the best people she'd ever met. He made her feel like she could be better than where she was in life. He made her happier than she'd ever been. If she had to convince his mother of her sincerity, she would.

"Goodness, you got all dressed up cute for this for no reason. You're absolutely glowing." Lila finally said gently. She had an amused twinkle in her eyes that Maya recognized as one she usually saw Lucas sporting. "But you're pregnant. You should have just worn a baggy sweater and leggings."

Maya's brows lifted in slight surprise. She _had_ been about to wear that. Before she could respond, Lila let go of Maya's hand and turned back around, heading towards the alcove next to the living room with a hanging chandelier where a table had been set.

"Dinner is ready, so why don't we get this out of the way first so we can _discuss_ things." She called out over her shoulder. "I made homemade vegetable lasagna. I hope you like it."

Neither of them moved, still standing in the same place in front of the door, a little bit taken aback by what had just happened. Maya glanced at Lucas behind her who still had that slightly anxious look on his face.

"I said dinner is ready." Lila barked. "Get moving you two!"

Maya jumped in alarm, and she rushed after his mother, feeling fear run down her back at the return of the ice cold tone.

This was Lucas' mother?

~.~.~

"So. You're pregnant, Maya." Lila said after Lucas finished rinsing the plates and came back to sit next to Maya. Maya felt like she was on the chopping block from Lila's intense stare. "And Lucas is the father. And you're eighteen weeks in?"

Dinner had been a quiet affair, with Maya too scared to make conversation, and Lucas clearly uneasy. The food had been great, and to Maya's delight, there had been ketchup on the table, so she'd been able to have some, though she hadn't put her usual quantity on the food. She knew how disgusting it could be to some people. She didn't want to make her impression on Lucas' mother any worse. And it was very hard to tell what Lila was thought about her. The woman was a master at guarding her expressions.

After dinner, they had relocated to the living room where Maya sat stiffly, back completely straight, knowing that she was probably about to be interrogated. This was it. The moment that would make or break her relationship with Lucas and his mother.

Lucas took her hand in his, rubbing soft circles on her knuckles with his thumb, and Maya squeezed his hand in return in thanks for the support. It really was comforting.

"Yes." Maya responded.

"I really, really ought to put you in the shed for this Lucas…" Lila said lowly, her hazel gaze momentarily glancing at Lucas in irritation. "I want you to tell me exactly how this happened."

Lucas opened his mouth to speak, but his mother lifted her hand and shut him up before he could get a word out.

"Not you. _Maya_."

Oh yeah.

Delilah Friar was one scary woman.

"We were drunk at a party." Maya said, her cheeks burning up slightly as she recalled a few of the memories from that night. "One thing led to another and then…"

Maya gestured to her abdomen.

Lila shook her head in disdain and turned to Lucas crossly.

"You see what happens when you use alcohol? What did I tell you about alcohol? Now look what you did. You impregnated this poor, sweet girl and she has to carry your child for nine months while handling school. Do you have any idea how difficult this must be for her?"

For a moment, Maya just blinked in confusion, wondering if she had really heard her correctly.

_Sweet?_

Maya was a little shocked by her words. That was definitely the first time she'd ever heard that one before. She felt a little warmed by the fact that his mother cared about what she was going through while pregnant. But Lucas wasn't solely to blame for this.

"Mrs. Friar—"

"Call me Lila, sweetie."

"Okay, uh Lila…" Maya said, a little tentatively. She didn't want to incur her wrath. "Lucas isn't totally to blame. I'm responsible for this too."

"Oh I know that, Maya. But I can't help but blame my idiot of a son." She smiled, chuckling to herself. "We Friars have very intense sex drives, so I have a feeling Lucas came on to you first. I don't blame him. You're very cute."

"Mom!"

Lila ignored Lucas' indignant and embarrassed reaction.

"Maya, I really like you. I know we haven't talked much yet, but I like you. I want us to be friends."

Maya's eyes widened in surprise. They'd barely had a full or proper conversation, and his mother already liked her? It was honestly bewildering and hard to believe to Maya.

"But, I'm going to be honest with you two. I think you raising a child is a stretch. I don't like it. You both are still very young, and you have your whole lives ahead of you and too much you could do with your future that you'll be letting go." Lila smiled softly when Maya frowned in concern. "But don't worry about my opinion, Maya. Lucas told me you guys are keeping your baby no matter what. And if that's what you decided, there's nothing I can do about it. If you both are old enough to think you can have unprotected sex like idiots, then you're both old enough to make decisions regarding the consequences on your own, although they might be ill-advised. So the only thing I can do is accept it."

Maya didn't really know what to say to respond to that. Lila was unbelievably abrasive and the way she spoke about their mistakes made Maya a bit uncomfortable and awkward, but there was something about her that was extremely open and friendly in a way that also managed to loosen Maya up and make her feel better.

It was strange. Maya had expected a very uptight woman, and in a way she was, but Maya could also see that she was unbelievably lenient and chill. Maya could definitely tell that she was most likely the reason why Lucas had become "Mr. Perfect" in the first place. She'd raised him well, and honestly, Maya knew deep down that she had started looking up to Lila and respecting her. She inspired Maya to want to be a mother like her.

"Thank you, Mrs– uh, Lila."

"This wasn't exactly the way I pictured ever meeting my son's girlfriend when he got one, but I'm happy he's happy with you nonetheless. And clearly, he cares deeply about you which will provide a good environment for your child to grow up in. Regardless of the circumstances of the pregnancy."

Maya wasn't really sure how to let Lila know that technically, she wasn't Lucas' girlfriend, but she held her tongue.

"Now, I'm under the impression that you guys haven't really discussed your baby's future, but Lucas told me that you're raising Jellybean– Is it Jellybean?"

"Yeah." Maya said, a small smile on her face as she put her hand on her abdomen.

"How did you come up with that?" Lila let out a small laugh. "That's the cutest thing I've ever heard."

"When I was six weeks in, she looked like a jellybean in the ultrasound. I guess it just kind of stuck."

"Genius." Lila said, leaning on the armrest and watching Maya with something akin to fond admiration. "Anyway, yes. Lucas told me that you guys are planning to raise Jellybean _together,_ but you live with the Matthews. I believe, due to the nature of your relationship, that it would be best if you lived _with_ Lucas."

"We were planning to figure that out tonight." Lucas replied.

Lila nodded, "I reckoned, cowpoke. So I'm going to do you both a favour since you're still my son, even if you're a real idiot."

Lucas' face was a little flushed in embarrassment, and Maya had to fold her lips over to keep from snorting in amusement. His mother called him cowpoke? It was pretty hilarious to see their interaction. Lila was rough with Lucas, but she was clearly treating him like a naughty little baby boy, and it made Maya want to laugh. She could tell they were very close.

_Not like me and my mother…_

Maya felt a twinge of pain in her chest at the thought. There was a time when they were close once. Or as close as they could be for a mother who was rarely home from work and a daughter who spent almost all her time at her best friend's place. But all that was gone now. Even their three in the morning phone conversations about whether Katy should bring grilled cheese or a tuna melt back home.

Maya forced her thoughts to change before her melancholy showed up on her face.

"Maya, we have a lot of room here, so I'm opening my home to you." Lila continued. Maya's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "If you want to stay with Lucas—with us—anytime you need to, that's okay with me. But I'm only letting you crash here. I'm not going to be providing anything you need for your baby. That will be you and Lucas' responsibility since you both decided to screw like rabbits and ended up with a damn kid."

Damn, Lila was almost brutally blunt. Maya could feel Lucas stiffening uncomfortably next to her and she wondered just how often he'd been on the receiving end of his mother's sharp tongue.

"Mama, c'mon." Lucas said in exasperation. "Tone it down a bit, would you?"

Her gaze shot to his in annoyance and something slightly devious crawled into her gaze.

"Want to know something funny, Maya~" Lila singsonged, "When Lucas was young, I put him through ballet classes. He was the only boy in a class of about twenty little girls. Guess what he insisted I call him for the next six months?"

Lucas' eyes widened in alarm. "I'm sorry. I'll stop talking."

"Good boy." Lila said, crossing her legs with a smug look on her face.

But the damage was done. Maya rose a mischievous brow at him in amusement, and he let out an exasperated groan, leaning his head back against the sofa.

"Lucas took ballet?"

"For five years actually. He was very good." Lila responded, a similar mischievous look on her face, "It's a shame his father forced him to switch to Little League and Pee Wee."

"Oh this is priceless!" Maya snorted, mentally tucking that information away for the future.

"How did I know this was going to happen…" Lucas sighed in defeat.

"So anyway, what I was saying Maya, was that you can stay here anytime until you two figure out your future living arrangements." Lila glowered at Lucas, "But you will be moving out after you graduate college, Lucas. You got someone pregnant. So I'm forcing you to be an adult. So you had better start working on building your credit to get an apartment."

"Yes ma'am."

Lila smiled warmly and proudly and leaned over, placing her hand Lucas' knee. "Lucas, I'm very proud of you for growing up into a responsible, caring, sweet adult. Thank you for not turning out like your father."

The last part of Lila's sentence was said a little tightly and a little angrily with an undertone of resentment, and it only served to remind Maya of Lucas' morbid words that he didn't want his father to know of the pregnancy. This was the second time she'd heard something particularly bad about the mysterious Mr. Friar. And the fact that both Friars had said it worried Maya a little bit.

_Just how bad is Mr. Friar?_

Lila patted Lucas' knee. "Lucas, I want to talk to Maya alone for a second. Could you give us some privacy?"

He nodded and got up, slowly sliding his hand out of Maya's, their fingers trailing each other's before they finally let go. She stared up at him, honestly feeling a little bit anxious at the thought of being left alone with his mom, but Lucas gave her an encouraging smile, and Maya relaxed a bit as he walked away.

She turned back to Lila who was watching her with warmth in her expression.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to attack you, honey." Lila smiled. "I just wanted to know your thoughts on my son, and I didn't know if you felt comfortable discussing it with him around. Consider this private girl talk."

Maya let out a visible sigh of relief and leaned back against the plush cushions of the sofa. "Honestly, he makes me happy. I like him. A lot. Probably since even before we slept together."

"I've always wondered what kind of person you were, Maya. He's talked about you before, you know? The first time I noticed his feelings was probably two years ago when he was talking about some guy you were interested in. Lucas kept saying how annoying you were for not listening and not taking his advice, but even though he looked mad, he was very obviously jealous. And that's when I knew he had pretty deep feelings for you."

Two years ago? That was a long time ago. Had Maya really been so dense that she didn't pick up on that through all those years?

"Maya, you're good for him. Usually when his father is around, and especially after the holiday break, Lucas tends to be particularly irritated, but the past two months, he's been in a pretty great mood. And I'm positive that's your doing."

Maya felt her heart skip in excitement at her words. The thought that she had a positive effect on Lucas made her a bit giddy. But Lila had brought it up again. Lucas' father and how terrible he seemed. And it made Maya curious.

"Lila, Lucas told me he couldn't tell his father about the baby. Why?"

Lila regarded her silently for a second before letting out a soft sigh. "My husband Thomas—soon to be ex—is a little rough around the edges. He's very driven and stubborn and once he decides he wants a certain thing to go one way, he will relentlessly try to make it happen. Especially when it comes to Lucas who he tends to control. Doesn't leave much room for flaws. Lucas' unexpected daughter is definitely what Thomas would consider a flaw in Lucas' life. So I think he made the right choice to keep it on the down low."

Maya felt chills down her back. So Lucas' father clearly was someone who she had to watch out for.

"Well what happens if he finds out? What does he do to Lucas' supposed 'flaws'?"

The smile Lila gave her had a touch of hidden cynicism, and Maya recognized the look as one that told her she wouldn't be getting an answer to her question. And that scared the shit out of her. Whatever was so bad about Lucas' father, even Lila had her reservations about it.

"You're very brave you know. Keeping the child takes a lot of courage at your age." Lila said, changing the subject, "But I want you to remember that you won't be living for yourself anymore. Taking care of a baby is one thing, but you're going to have to raise her too. And not just for a handful of years. For the rest of your life. Are you prepared to sacrifice everything in the future for your child?"

"Yeah. Even if I have to work morning to night for her." Maya smiled a little melancholically, "My mother did that for me. Sacrificed everything she could have been and could have done so I could have something of a decent life."

_And look how I repaid her. By fucking up the one thing she asked—begged—of me._

Maya fidgeted with the bottom of her dress, her eyes downcast and trying not to think too much about her ruined relationship with her mother. Why was it that despite all this time passing, she still wasn't okay?

"Maya?"

"But nevermind that." Maya feigned a jovial smile, knowing that it very obviously seemed fake. She was grateful that Lila didn't press her though. "I'm definitely scared about raising a child to adulthood, but I plan to give my all for Jellybean. I want her to grow up happy."

"Lucas said the same thing. And after meeting you, I know you two will make excellent parents, no matter how young you two are. The most important thing in raising a child is making sure their needs are met and giving them lots of love and clearly, you both are willing to do whatever it takes for Jellybean."

"Thank you for that. That really does mean a lot. But I don't want Lucas to sacrifice everything." Maya replied honestly, "I kept the pregnancy from him for about a month. He already had his plan for the future set before he found out. I want him to still go to college so he can become a vet. And I also don't want him to quite baseball. He loves being on the team."

_I don't want to take away his freedom._

"I agree. I don't think just because you have a baby that either of you should stop your entire lives, but I can't speak for him. This is something you two need to decide together." Lila smiled kindly, "Your care for Lucas' well-being warms my heart, Maya. I can definitely see why he likes you so much. You know, aside from your obvious attractive physical attributes."

A small blush sprouted on Maya's cheeks, and she averted her gaze, a little embarrassed by the unabashed statements.

"You're so cute, Maya." She teased, standing up and stretching loudly. "Well it's getting late. And you still have school tomorrow. You must be exhausted."

Maya looked at the clock above their TV and was surprised that it was almost ten. She hadn't realized time had slipped by so quickly.

"You're right." Maya stood up as well, walking over to the door to pick up her bag. "I should probably head home soon. I texted Riley about the dinner, but she's probably wondering why I haven't come back yet."

"Hmmm… I don't know how I feel about a pregnant girl going home by herself. And I don't like Lucas driving out and about late on a school night."

"I'll be fine taking the subway."

"I disagree." Lila said, "I'll call the Matthews and let them know you'll be spending the night here. You can sleep in Lucas' room. Lucas can drop you off at the Matthews' in the morning before school."

Maya's brows rose, a little surprised by her declaration. "You would let me stay the night in Lucas' room after what happened?"

"You're _already_ pregnant." Lila laughed, "What good does the no girlfriend in the house rule do if he already defeated the purpose of said rule. Regardless, he'll be sleeping on the couch. You can take his bed."

Maya felt bad. She didn't want him to be forced to be displaced from a comfortable night's rest. It was bound to be uncomfortable, especially since Lucas was pretty tall and the sofa wasn't altogether that long.

"I don't mind him sleeping in his own bed with me." Maya said, hoping it came out sounding innocent, because she was pretty sure her words could easily be misconstrued. "And I don't mean it like that. I just think I would be more comfortable with him in the room."

Lila stared at her for a second, her own eyes searching Maya's before her lips curved up into a small smile. "Alright, darlin'. But only because I want you to be comfortable when you sleep."

She gestured for Maya to follow her and took her down the hallway leading to the closed door of Lucas' room.

"You better not be watching something inappropriate in there." Lila called out, rapping her knuckles against the door, "We're coming inside."

She pushed open the door and tugged Maya in behind her. His room was pretty plain, painted blue, nothing particularly outstanding about it. Well, except for his scent clinging to every surface of the room. It had been lingering in various parts of the living room, but here, it was extremely strong. Maya fought her urge to inhale deeply when she felt a twinge of pleasure rise up in her.

Lucas pulled his headphones out, turning to look at them in slight confusion, and Maya stared at the ground. She kind of felt like a concubine being offered to a queen's son, if she were to put into words how odd the situation kind of felt.

"Maya's sleeping in here tonight." Lila declared. "And you are too, but I swear if you try anything funny on a school night, I'm putting you in the shed, got it? In the morning, drop her off at the Matthews'."

Lucas glanced at Maya in slight surprise, but he nodded in understanding.

"Okay. I'll uh… I'll go take a shower then. So you can change." He closed his laptop and stood from his desk chair, grabbing his towel off the back of his chair. He gestured to his dresser. "There are some t-shirts in there if you want something to sleep in."

As Lucas made his way out of the room, Lila wrapped her arm around his shoulders, stopping him from leaving, and brought her lips to his ear.

"I mean it Lucas… I know you like the back of my hand. If you have sex with her, you're in deep shit."

Lila had growled it lowly, and Maya knew it hadn't been for her own ears to hear, but she had definitely caught the threat. And from the way Lucas stared at his mother a little stunned, Maya knew Lila had meant every word she had said.

When Lucas left, Maya walked over to his dresser and pulled it open, perusing the neatly folded shirts before taking out one that looked a little worn, but looked like a souvenir from a rodeo. There was a cartoon man with a cowboy hat riding a bull on the front. She smiled, deciding this was the perfect one.

"Alright, I'm going to go call the Matthews. Do you need anything else from me?" Lila asked.

"I kind of need to empty my bladder." Maya said with a smile, "Is there another bathroom?"

Lila nodded with a chuckle. "Down the hall, second to last door before the living room."

Maya sighed gratefully and rushed down the hall to the bathroom with the t-shirt. She used the restroom and then removed her panty liner, wrapping it in toilet paper before tossing it in the nearby trash bin. She cleaned herself up and washed her hands properly, before tugging off her dress and pulling on the borrowed t-shirt. It obviously didn't fit well—it stopped at her thighs—but it was comfortable and warm. And best of all, it smelled almost exactly like Lucas, and she mentally sighed in bliss. She loved his scent. And she loved the way that wearing his shirt made her feel like he was wrapped around her.

She left the bathroom, heading back to Lucas' room where his mother was standing there with an amused smile on her face.

"All good?" Lila asked with a small yawn.

"Yeah, definitely." Maya said, setting her dress on Lucas' chair before removing her boots.

When Maya straightened, Lila leaned down and wrapped her up in a tight hug. Surprised, Maya wasn't sure what to do so she hugged her back, not knowing the reason behind the affectionate gesture.

"Maya," Lila whispered warmly in her ear, "Thank you for giving me my first grandchild."

Maya was shocked and extremely touched by the comment. She hadn't been expecting those words from Lila. It was a little sad that Maya hadn't heard those words from Katy, who she wanted to hear that from most of all, but it still meant something to her.

And it meant that Lila approved even though Maya had done nothing but screw up. It meant that Lila wanted Maya in her life and in Lucas'.

Maya forced the lump growing in her throat down. She couldn't get all blubbery now.

Before she could respond, Lila had let go and was already making her way down the hall.

"Just shout if you need anything, okay?" she called out to Maya.

Maya was frozen in place for a little while, her heart jumping in her chest in happiness. She hadn't known how much having Lila's approval meant to her, but now that she had it, her spirits lifted a bit and a weight seemed to be taken off her shoulders.

A good thing had happened to her. It was one of the first days she had felt some real inkling of happiness in a while.

Maya went over to her school bag next to Lucas' desk, rummaging through it until she pulled out the notebook containing her letter to her father. She snatched a pen from Lucas' desk and plopped on his bed, opening it to write.

_Hey dad._

_I know my letters usually aren't cheerful or happy. And I know I'm usually blaming you for one thing or another, but I just felt like I should tell you about today. I met the mother of the father of my baby. And she actually liked me. Surprising right? I wouldn't have expected anyone to like the daughter of a deserting Clutterbucket asshole. But even though I'm mad at you, I wanted to tell you, for the first time in a while, I've felt a little bit of happiness. Maybe life is a complete mess right now, and like I told you before, I'm still scared of raising Jellybean into adulthood because I don't have a first-hand example to learn from (thanks to your sorry ass), but I don't know… It feels like things are looking up. Maybe things are getting better. Maybe it's okay for me to have some hope._

Maya had been a little bit lost in thought and absorbed in her writing so she didn't hear when Lucas walked in and closed the door, but then a shadow fell over her notebook, and she glanced up in surprise.

To Lucas standing in front of her in just a pair of boxers. Maya suddenly felt an unbelievable spasm of arousal run through her as she stared at his body.

"Why can't you ever put on any clothes, Heehaw?" Was it wrong that she really wanted to put whipped cream on him and lick it off like some crazed sex kitten? Dammit, she was so fucking horny.

"Because I love watching you react to me." He snarked back. Then he pointed to the letter to her dad. "What's that? Is that the same thing I saw a while back?"

"No." she lied, closing it quickly.

Lucas gently took it out of her hands against her protests and flipped it back open to the page it had been on, brows furrowed as he looked at the words on the paper.

"What is it?"

Maya sighed in defeat, knowing there was no way around it. "It's a letter to my dad. I'm never sending it so sometimes if life gets tough, I write my anger to him. It helps me cope."

Lucas read the page silently, his expression not particularly changing, save for this slight concern that she could read in his eyes.

"How long have you been writing it?"

"Since the end of middle school."

And then she hopped off the bed and pulled it out of his hands before he could flip back to a previous entry. He'd gotten a glimpse of the page she had just written on, but there was no way in hell she would let him read anything beforehand. She'd mentioned Lucas a couple times, and she wasn't sure if she wanted him to know about all her insecurities regarding him. She stuffed the notebook back into her school bag before straightening.

"Why haven't you ever sent it?"

"Because he's not going to respond." Maya said, facing him, "I wrote him a letter once years ago, and he didn't answer back. My mom told me to never contact him again, so this is what I do instead."

Maya rubbed her arm, uncomfortable with the topic. She didn't want to talk about this anymore.

"Your mom and I talked." Maya said, changing the subject, "We both think that you shouldn't drop all your activities just because of the baby."

Lucas frowned. "If I don't, I'll be leaving you by yourself, and that's not fair to you."

"As much as I appreciate it, I'll be fine, Huckleberry." Maya gave him a reassuring smile. "I don't want you to quit what you love just because I'm pregnant. And the same goes for college. Don't take that year off."

"Maya." Lucas tugged her forward by the hips, a serious look on his face. "I honestly don't mind taking a year off. It wouldn't be right for me to put you through the first year with a baby on your own."

"But I wouldn't be on my own." She asserted, slipping her arms around him and gazing up at him. "There are people who can help me and on top of that, it's not like you'd be completely abandoning me. You'd just be gone for a bit of time to take your lectures. And then we'd have you at night."

"Maya—"

"Lucas, I won't let you give up what you're used to. Yes, I'm aware being by myself while you're gone will be weird, but honestly, you have goals you need to achieve."

_Goals I don't want to keep you from just because I'm pregnant. _

Lucas stared down at her for a second, his expression conflicted, but Maya only rose a brow, letting him know silently that she wasn't going to budge on her stance. Finally, Lucas sighed, knowing he'd have to concede this battle to her.

"Then can you promise me though, that if anything goes wrong, you'll call me immediately?"

She rolled her eyes. "Obviously Huckleberry."

"I mean it. If there are any problems, I'm coming straight back to you."

"Yeah, yeah…"

"Good." He smiled.

She hummed contently, gazing up at him with a smile and just breathing in his scent. He smelled amazing. But it didn't help that being so close to him was making her mind drift to particularly dirty thoughts. Lucas underneath her dirty thoughts.

"Is it bad that I really love seeing you in my favourite shirt?" he muttered, his gaze darkening as he looked at her.

"Is it bad that I really want you to kiss me?" Maya replied quietly, leaning into him.

With a slight smile, he leaned down, capturing her lips in a heated kiss, his arms winding around her waist to tug her forward until their bodies were flush against each other. She let out a low moan into his mouth, a surge of heat dancing in her veins. She could feel the heat coursing wildly through her, burning and pooling between her legs.

He sat back on the edge of his bed, tugging Maya onto his lap. She straddled him, sliding her arms around his neck, molding herself to him, kissing him more urgently when she felt his arousal. His hand traveled under the hem of her shirt, trailing up her hips before settling on the bare skin of her lower back. She slipped her tongue into his mouth and heard Lucas' groan from his throat when she grinded against him slowly. Maya's breathing harshened from the sound. She was well aware that her desire had skyrocketed beyond what was normal for her.

So horny.

She was so unbelievably horny. She'd never wanted it more.

Was this even normal? She needed release. Badly.

He trailed kisses down to her jaw and placed a few gentle kisses on the overheated skin of her neck before sucking the skin in between his teeth. Maya pressed herself closer to him with a ragged sigh, her toes curling and pleasure rippling in waves down her body. His hands teasing the skin of her waist under the shirt and his mouth on her neck making her flush left her dizzy, and Maya squirmed on his lap, the insatiable need to be touched between her legs pervading her mind.

"Maya, be my girlfriend." Lucas murmured into her neck.

And Maya stiffened and froze.

With a sharp intake of breath, Maya put her hands on his shoulders and pushed away from him, her heart drumming in her ears. She swallowed thickly, trying to catch her breath.

"I can't."

A confused frown flitted on Lucas' face, and he stared at her for a second, clearly trying to figure out if she was joking or not.

But she wasn't.

Because all of a sudden, she knew she was scared. And she knew exactly why. It was why after they'd slept together, Maya had cut and run with her tail between her legs. It was why whenever he had looked like he had something important he wanted to confess to her, she had avoided it like the plague. It was why she wanted to run and hide when he had told her he liked her.

She trusted Lucas to never hurt her, but part of her—the part that she knew had been viciously affected by her mother's failure at finding love in life—was apprehensive. She wanted to keep her distance because of that one little doubt in her mind that maybe, just maybe, there could be a chance that Lucas would leave her somehow for whatever reason. And if he did, she would have to find a way to make it through with her heart in shambles.

But that wouldn't happen if she didn't open herself entirely to him. She needed this one distance to keep her sanity and preserve her heart. To keep herself from falling completely. To keep from drowning and not being able to find a way out if everything crashed and burned.

"Maya, what?"

She removed his hands from her sides and backed off of his lap, immediately missing his warmth and the feel of his body against hers. She took a few steps away from him, forcing herself to stay put, despite every ounce of her being screaming at her to get back on his lap and let him work his magic.

"I can't be your girlfriend." Maya said honestly, "I can't get hurt. And I don't want to get hurt by you."

He frowned, staring up at her incredulously, a little bit of hurt creeping into the beautiful green. "Maya, you know I would never do anything to hurt you."

"Lucas stop. You don't get it. I need space. I can't just let myself go."

He was starting to look a little irritated. "And why the hell not? I don't understand. We both like each other. How hard is it to make it official?"

"It just is, okay?" she growled. "I can't be your girlfriend."

"That makes no sense. I won't accept that as an answer. Tell me the truth Maya."

"Lucas, drop it!"

"No. Tell me why you're trying to push me away now of all times! Just tell me, so I can at least understand what the hell you're talking about. So I can understand what's going through your mind." His jaw was clenched tightly. "We've already established that we like each other. Hell, we've had sex and made a baby, and you know I don't want anyone but you. So what's the problem here?"

Maya let out a sigh, staring at the floor. "Lucas, I'm scared of getting left. Desperately scared. Maybe it sounds stupid to you, but my mom was left, and I've seen what it did to her. I don't want that to be me."

Lucas frowned. "You're not your mother Maya. Just because your mom got left doesn't mean you're going to turn out just like her."

"But you don't know that. Look at me, Lucas." She gestured to her abdomen with derisive snort. "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, right?"

"Stop that. You are not your mother Maya. And stop looking at yourself that way. Maybe your father left you both, but I would never do that to you. You or Jellybean."

"But you don't know that." she pressed, "Years from now, you could decide you want nothing more to do with us and take off back to Texas."

"Yes I do know. I'm not going anywhere." Lucas said emphatically, reaching out and taking her hands. "Even if you try to push me away. I promised you, didn't I?"

She stayed silent for a moment, avoiding his gaze. Lucas tugged on her hands, pulling her in between his legs.

"Is that why you told me you wanted to pretend nothing happened after we slept together?" he asked quietly, sounding shocked.

Maya bristled at the reminder. "Yes, okay. I know it was stupid and kind of messed up, but I was trying to protect myself from _you_ because I knew deep down things regarding you had changed forever. And then you really did leave, and I was upset that you didn't try to stick around."

Lucas narrowed his eyes. "That's not fair Maya. I left because I thought that was what you really wanted. You seemed okay with it."

"And that's the point! I _wasn't _okay!" Maya blurted, furiously meeting his gaze. "I wanted you to stay, Lucas. I wanted you to stay so badly. So, so badly! But I was scared okay? The more time I spend with you, the harder it is to back away. And now that I'm pregnant with your baby, I know it's going to be even harder to be away from you, and I'm _terrified_ Lucas. I don't know how to deal with this. Because if you leave…"

She quieted for a moment and then rolled her eyes in exasperation with a sigh.

"I should have just been honest with you from the start. I mean I _had_ you. And then I lost you."

Lucas' gaze softened, and he smiled, looking up at her like she was his entire world. His eyes were shining with warmth, and Maya's pulse began to race.

"You do have me. You've always had me. I'm right here."

He reached up to cup the back of her neck and pulled her down until their foreheads were touching.

"Maya, I know you're scared, but you have to trust me. I won't leave you, okay? I'll never leave you." he said, "Girlfriend or not, nothing will ever change that. If it really does make you uncomfortable, then we don't have to make it official. But I want you to be my girlfriend. Can we make it official?"

Maya nodded and smiled, her fears alleviated a lot more now that he knew what was going on with her. Why had she doubted him?

"Okay."

He stood up with a grin, taking her face in his hands before placing a chaste kiss to her lips that sent a shiver down Maya's back. She didn't know how he managed it, but she was even more turned on than she was before.

"I think we should go to bed." He muttered against her lips. "We have to get up early."

She loosely grasped his wrists, licking her lips slightly.

"I can't sleep."

"What? Do you want me to sleep on the couch?" Lucas asked, an eyebrow raised teasingly, "I mean, sure, some groping is bound to happen to you at some point in the night, but if that really bothers you, I'll sleep somewhere else."

"No. That's not it." She rubbed her thighs uncomfortably together, grimacing slightly from the lack of relief from the friction. "Lucas, I'm horny. It's really bad… And being in the same bed as you will make it worse."

He took a slight step back from her, staring at her for a second. Then an amused snort left his lips, and he started laughing.

"It's not funny you asshole!" Maya's face burned red in embarrassment. "You're the reason why I'm like this right now!"

"Okay." Lucas took her hand and led her around the side of the bed, lifting up his covers with a smirk. "Let's take care of the problem."

Maya frowned, but climbed under the covers, settling in and glancing at him with furrowed brows. He got in behind her and wrapped his arms around her middle, pulling her backwards until he was spooning her and she was pressed flush against him. When his hands trailed lower, Maya felt goosebumps rise on her neck.

"Lucas, you'll get in trouble if we get caught."

She definitely still remembered his mother's threat. And Maya herself wasn't even in any danger, but she still felt chills of fear from Lila's dangerous words. Lucas didn't seem to care though because he still didn't move his hands.

"Relax. I have to take care of my girlfriend don't I? What kind of guy would I be if I left you wound up?"

"Are you sure?"

And then her breath hitched in her throat when he slipped his hand into her panties. She let out a small, shaky moan.

"Shhhh…" he whispered playfully in her ear, "You have to stay quiet or I'm going in the shed. And we don't want that."

"Lucas…"

"Just relax…"


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: I want to apologize. This chapter is _atrocious__,_ I know... I'm sorry lol. It could have been a lot better written and described and less choppy, but I'm a little worse for wear right now and haven't done any revision or smoothing out yet. Bah I hate this chapter... -_-; Cringe-y lines. Cringe-y descriptions. Too much fluff. I cut out like four different scenes... I am so off my game... Bear with me for now please. I might end up rewriting it completely ahahahaha xD  
**

**I really honestly truly love you guys in this fandom. You are the sweetest people I have ever met and I can't thank you enough for helping me overcome my fears with sharing my work! I loves you! And thank you for being so supportive! I really appreciate it so much! :'D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own GMW, but Lucaya is bae.**

* * *

"So… You excited for your late night birthday date?" Riley asked, trying to apply some mascara on Maya's eyelashes.

"I guess." Maya tried to feign indifference, but she was actually really happy that she finally had the chance to celebrate her evening with Lucas.

Maya smiled, laughing to herself as Riley frowned when she blinked and impeded Riley's work. After she'd told Lucas that she had never had a chance to ride the Staten Island Ferry in her life, he'd taken it upon himself to take her for her birthday. Then she was spending the night at his place.

Two weeks had passed since Lila's offer of an open home. Though Maya hadn't necessarily wanted to up and move into the Friar's place immediately, after much deliberation and several long, _long_ discussions and debates with Cory (who was staunchly against her moving out and living with that delinquent hooligan who impregnated her), they'd finally come to an agreement that she should eventually move in with the Friars once she reached thirty weeks. Honestly, they would have more room for her, especially as her due date approached, not to mention Maya's part time was closer to the Friar's than the Matthews' apartment. It just made more sense.

At the moment, she occasionally stayed with Lucas if she really wanted a cuddle buddy (or her hormones were haywire), but Maya had promised Riley that despite the fact that she wouldn't live with Riley anymore, she would still spend time at their apartment because she couldn't physically go without Riley for too many days without withdrawal symptoms showing.

But other than that, her day had begun swimmingly. She woke up energetic and feeling better than she had in a long time. No bloating, no rush to the bathroom lest she spill her pants, and no raging horniness that needed immediate taking care of. It was a surprisingly great morning.

She'd gotten a text from Missy:

**I would say hbd to you, but I don't really like you, so...**

And then from Farkle, who sent her a video message. It had been sweet.

And then the Matthews had burst into the room, surprising her with breakfast in bed. They'd pampered her like a princess and honestly, Maya couldn't remember a single birthday that she had felt so special on. Most all her birthdays had been spent waking up to an empty apartment with a single card on the kitchen counter and an apology from her mom for not being able to spend it with her.

School had been pleasant too, although Lucas (being an asshole) had taken it upon himself to rile her up with small touches and barely there kisses every time they passed by each other in the hallway. And then in the middle of biology, she'd had to leave and run to the bathroom to take care of herself because Lucas had given her an absolutely vulgar kiss right before class. Nothing Mr. Weatherly had said all class had made sense because she'd been way too flustered next to Lucas and unbelievably fucking horny. He thought her horniness was amusing and had been teasing her for the past two weeks and making it that much harder for her to pay attention in school. She hated it, but at the same time, she loved it.

In the evening, the Matthews had taken her out to dinner at an Italian restaurant she'd never been to, but had been amazing. And after dinner, they'd presented her with a key to their apartment to let her know that even after she moved in with Lucas and his mother, she was always welcome in their home. That had given her a good cry that ruined her makeup.

Hence why Riley was currently trying to fix up Maya's eye makeup before she went out with Lucas for her birthday date.

"Alright." Riley said, smiling triumphantly, "I may have outdone myself with this. Turn around."

Maya turned to face Riley's body length mirror and her eyebrows lifted, honestly surprised by the outcome. Riley had layered her eyes with a little bit of bronze and a hint of gold and brown to give her a smokey eyed look. Matched with her off the shoulder crimson dress, it looked superb. She would have loved to top the outfit off with a pair of her high heels, but unfortunately she couldn't wear them. Maya smiled, she felt and looked great. It was the first time in a while that she'd dressed up and hadn't felt crappy.

"Riley don't you think you went a little overboard with the eyes?" Maya chuckled.

"No way. You have to look like a princess today."

"We're literally going on a ferry boat ride. Looking great isn't that big a deal."

"Still Maya. This is your first date with Lucas. It has to be perfect."

And Maya realized that technically, it _was_ her first date with Lucas since they had finally made things official. They were both very busy on a day to day basis. Maya had to take a day off of work to even celebrate her birthday, and Lucas was generally busy with his pre-season baseball workouts.

"Huh. I guess this is our first date."

"Right!" Riley chirped. "So I have to make sure you look amazing for it. Not that you don't always look amazing anyway."

Maya turned around and hugged Riley tightly. "Thank you."

Maya's phone pinged with an alert for a text and she knew that was Lucas letting her know that he had arrived.

"Well. There's my date."

"Your _boyfriend_." Riley corrected with a grin, "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yupp."

Maya gave Riley one more quick squeeze before she tugged on her coat and snatched up her overnight bag before racing out of the room. She bid goodnight to Cory and Topanga watching TV on the couch before leaving the apartment and heading down the stairs to the lobby.

As she approached the front doors of the complex, she tried to keep her ear splitting grin from showing up on her face. Maya wasn't one to spazz about anything like Riley, but even she couldn't deny that she was pretty excited.

She opened the door with a flourish. "Ranger Rick."

He turned around with a smile, his gaze dropping down her form with a look of surprise. She took pride in the fact that he looked a little speechless. She walked down the steps and took his free hand.

"Want a napkin for that drool?" she said smugly, tossing back something he'd said to her months ago.

Lucas chuckled, "Can't help it. You're beautiful, Maya."

Dammit. She hated how he always turned around her jabs and made her feel flustered.

Maya fought her blush and averted her gaze to the gift bag he was holding in his other hand. It had decorative tissue paper bunched at the top. No doubt it was a gift of some sort.

"What's that?"

"I'll show you later." Lucas said, though his expression had taken on something of an odd look for a split second. Maya wondered if she had imagined it, but he had looked uncomfortable. And not the slightly embarrassed kind of uncomfortable but actually worried kind of uncomfortable. Come to think of it, he looked a little worried in general. But she pushed the thought away. "Ready for the ferry boat ride?"

"Yeah. Let's go. This is the first time I don't feel absolutely disgusting, so I want to enjoy today."

"Alright, but I think I forgot something."

She frowned, "What'd you forget?"

Lucas leaned down and kissed her softly, gently cradling the nape of her neck. When he pulled away, he leaned his forehead against hers affectionately, his thumb caressing her jaw. She held his warm gaze, her heart racing uncontrollably. She couldn't contain the happy grin that came to her lips.

"Okay. Now let's go."

~.~.~

"Feeling any seasickness?" Lucas asked, leaning next to her on the railing as the ferry slowly made its way on by in the bay.

It was very peaceful riding the ferry. The light breeze, the calming music in the background, the beautiful lights of Manhattan in the distance reflecting off of the water. The small waves and ripples made the water look like it was glittering. It was magical. Something she would love to paint. Maya absolutely loved it. Maybe one day, if her mother ever spoke to her again, she could come here with her so she could experience the magic as well. She quickly stopped her train of thought before her mind clouded over in melancholy. She hadn't even gotten a happy birthday from her mother and late evening was already upon them.

"No." She smiled up at him, "I love this. It's gorgeous."

"That's good. I'm glad."

Maya stared up at him, a little bit enraptured by his profile. His tousled hair lightly blowing in the cool breeze, the lines of his jaw, his soft gaze as he stared at the horizon. She felt kind of anxious, butterflies dancing wildly in her stomach. It was hard to describe this intense elation—almost _euphoria_—that made her heart jump in her chest.

Blinking rapidly, a slight blush on her face, she turned back and stared at the water, a little shaken up by how happy being with him made her feel. She'd been feeling it a lot lately, at the most random of times. Even for simple things like holding hands with him, fingers laced, her smaller hand almost engulfed by his or the little kisses he kept sneaking when she was trying to go to work. The happiness she would get was a little frightening, seeing as how Maya could never remember a time when she'd felt that way.

"Maya…" Lucas said with a sigh, turning to face her after a few moments of comfortable silence, "I need to tell you something."

She glanced at him, a little alarmed by the guilt in his voice.

"What?" she said, stiffening.

"I ran into your mom a couple days ago. And we talked."

She almost felt relief—_almost_—at the fact that it hadn't been as bad as her mind had been jumping to conclusions, but then she realized _what_ he had said.

"I don't want to know." she snapped.

"Maya. I think you need to know this."

She turned back to face the water, crossing her arms over her chest. "I told you I wanted to enjoy today. Talking about my mother will have the opposite effect."

"She asked about you, Maya." He continued, "She asked what Jellybean's gender was. And how you were doing. If you were eating enough, how tired you were, what your cravings were. She said she had ketchup cravings too."

Maya glared out at the water, unmoved by his words. "I don't care. She could have just come to the Matthews' to talk to me if she really wanted to know. But she didn't. And she hasn't."

"I think she's scared to talk to you. She probably doesn't know how to approach you anymore after the blowout you two had. She might not know how to start a conversation with you."

"She can _start_ by apologizing for kicking me out when I needed her. She can _start_ by apologizing for forcing me to choose between her or Jellybean." Maya spun around to face Lucas, fighting the pain that was tugging at her heart. "But even that won't be enough, because I'll always remember her words and the way she looked at me. I'll always remember that I was nothing but a regret and a mistake to her."

"I know you're mad at her. I can't even begin to understand the hurt she caused you, but Maya, without a doubt, she still cares about you. I saw something in her eyes when we talked. I think she needs you just as much as you need her."

"I _don't_ need her!" Maya shouted, taking a step back from Lucas, "And I can't believe you would even consider bringing this up _today_ of all days when you know how much it hurts!"

He frowned. "I know. It's terrible. But I'm doing it anyway, because you need to see this."

Before she could even retort, he had her wrist in his hand and all but forced her to take the handles of the gift bag. Maya felt anger build up in her. She was fixing to toss him into the damn bay if he didn't stop pissing her off.

"_Lucas_—"

"Would you just listen to me?! Your mom asked me to give this to you on your birthday, okay?"

"I don't want her shitty present!"

"Yeah? I don't care." He asserted, loosening his grip on her wrist, his expression somber. "Maya, at least open it."

"I don't want to…" Maya said quietly.

"Maya." Lucas reached up and wiped a tear Maya hadn't even realized was falling down her cheek. "Just open it."

She stared at the paper at the top of the bag, her heart racing a mile a minute. She didn't know what was in the bag, but she was terrified about what she would find. Maya was trying not to think of her mother at all. She was trying to shuck her from her life, just as Katy had shucked Maya from her own, but when her mother did things like this—things that only made Maya wish she had her mother to support her through the pregnancy—it made it difficult.

"You damn Huckleberry…" she said, sniffling slightly though there was no malice in her words, "You're ruining my birthday, you asshole."

"I know. And I'm sorry." Lucas smiled. "But it was a risk I was willing to take. Because you need to see this."

Maya wiped her eyes and reached into the bag with a roll of her eyes, somewhat expecting it to be something stupid that wouldn't make up for anything. She was fairly certain whatever it happened to be, she would end up tossing it over the side of the railing into the water. She meant what she said. She didn't want anything from her mother. It was pretty clear to her by now that Katy had no intention of taking her back. So Maya was protecting her heart.

The object she pulled out made her breath catch in her chest.

"What…?"

Maya stared at it with wide eyes.

It was Mr. Flopsy, the stuffed rabbit from her childhood. The stuffed rabbit she outgrew pretty quickly a few years after she and her mother had moved to their apartment. Maya thought Katy had donated it or given it away this whole time. But all these years, she had kept it.

"She said she's sorry about not being able to buy anything new, but she wanted you to have your rabbit back to give to Jellybean."

Maya stared at the toy. He was in perfect condition. He was washed, his once matted fur was fluffy again, the patches of dirt gone from the faux fur. The tear on the right arm was sewn together and a plaid heart patch was stitched over the chest where Maya had once scribbled on him with a permanent sharpie. Katy had restored him back to the way he looked when Maya had him as a baby.

And Maya's vision blurred as fresh tears welled in her eyes.

This was the first time her mother had ever acknowledged Jellybean. The first time she had acknowledged the fact that Maya was going to keep her baby, regardless of Katy's words.

And suddenly, Maya really wanted to see her mother.

"Fuck…" She let out a breathless laugh as she stared at her childhood toy. "And just when I thought I was over my mom. She goes and does this."

Lucas pulled her into his arms, kissing the top of her head as he rocked her gently side by side. Maya clung to him, her arms wrapped around him as she let the few silent tears drop from her eyes.

It hurt. But not as much as it did anymore.

And even though she was a little upset, she felt happy.

"I'm sorry I had to do it this way. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"You're still an asshole." Maya leaned back and gazed up at Lucas. "But thank you for making me to open it."

She rose up on her toes and pressed a soft kiss to his lips before smiling contently.

"Excuse me?" A lady stopped by them with a dopey smile on her face. "If you don't mind me asking, how many weeks in are you?"

"About twenty." Maya responded.

"Well you two are just the cutest couple." she gushed, "Babies are a blessing. Congratulations."

She meandered on and Maya and Lucas stared after her, both a little surprised.

"She was drunk, wasn't she?"

"Most definitely."

It didn't matter to Maya, regardless. But it did bring a smile to her lips. That had been the first time since Maya started showing that an adult hadn't given her a dirty look or made a degrading comment for her very obviously being a pregnant teen.

Maya sighed happily and shifted in Lucas' arms, turning to face the water again. Lucas held her from behind, one arm gripping the railing, the other wrapped around her, his hand massaging gentle circles on her abdomen. He leaned down and kissed her cheek before resting his chin on her head. She leaned back into him, closing her eyes and just enjoying the relaxing atmosphere.

Maya wasn't one to have a lot of hope for or faith in the future, but she would be damned if she didn't feel like things were finally starting to turn around for the better.

~.~.~

Lucas shoved open his apartment door, dragging Maya in after him as she tugged him closer by the shirt, trying to keep the connection of their lips despite the fact that it was terribly difficult to walk. He reached out and flicked on the dimmed lights of the living room before sliding his arm around her waist. She kicked the door shut, rising to her toes and wrapping her arms around his neck as he kissed her senseless.

"Where's your…" she asked, her breathing a little shallow as he nipped at the skin on her neck. He was making it hard to think. "…your mom?"

"She's staying with a friend tonight."

"Wait? So we're alone?"

Lucas smiled a little mischievously and then let go of Maya, taking her hand and bringing her to the sofa. She sat down, dropping her overnight bag and the bag with Mr. Flopsy on the ground and staring up at him in slight surprise, wondering what Lucas had to barter with Lila to convince her to let them be in the apartment alone. Maya _knew_ where this birthday date was headed. And no doubt, Lila did too. But it was a school night. Lila was pretty strict about her rules.

Which meant that Lucas had to have done something pretty spectacular for his mom to even consider it.

"_How_?"

"I told her it was your birthday."

Maya's brows furrowed as Lucas made his way behind her to the kitchen.

"Really? And she's okay with us being alone here. On a school night. _Alone_."

"She really loves you."

Clearly, if she was willing to let a boy with a very intense sex drive and a horny pregnant girl spend the night alone in an apartment. It warmed Maya's heart that Lila was so kindhearted and friendly with Maya. She always enjoyed her stays at the Friar's because Lila was so accommodating and made sure everything was perfect and comfortable for Maya.

(Also, Maya was pretty damn sure Lila knew what went on behind Lucas' closed bedroom door when Maya stayed over, but she'd never brought it up which Maya was grateful for).

"Alright, close your eyes." Lucas said from somewhere behind her.

Maya shut her eyes and waited patiently as Lucas' footsteps approached. He walked around the side of the sofa and in front of her before she heard his steps stop.

"Open them."

She opened her eyes to Lucas crouched in front of her on his knees, holding a red velvet cupcake. It was immaculately frosted, swirling gently into a peak at the top where a single candle was lit. There were little sprinkles dotting the frosting.

"Did you make this?" Maya was impressed.

"Yeah. I think this one finally turned out okay." He grinned, "Make a wish."

She looked over the flame into the sparkling green eyes and felt her heart skip a beat. There was one wish she wanted to make, but she felt a little awkward thinking it at all.

So she closed her eyes, but didn't wish for anything in particular.

_Thank you, Jellybean, for surprisingly bringing some happiness in my life._

She blew out the candle and then bit her lower lip as she smiled. Maya dipped her finger into the frosting and tasted it. It was amazing. Smooth and creamy and rich and just the perfect combination of sweet and slightly buttery. She'd been craving something sweet for the past hour or so, and her tastebuds felt so alive after trying it. Fuck, Lucas could do everything.

"How is it?" he asked tentatively.

"It's pretty good, Huckleberry. Try some."

She scooped up some more frosting and held it out to him with a flirtatious little smile. Lucas rose a brow and set the cupcake on the coffee table before taking her finger in his mouth and licking off the frosting. Maya felt pleasure shoot all the way down to her toes when his tongue made contact with her skin. She took in a sharp breath, her gaze locked with his when he took his mouth off of her finger. They stared at each other silently for a few moments, Maya feeling heat run down her body.

"So are you going to kiss me any time soon or…" Maya asked, a brow raised playfully.

His gaze darkened the slightest bit. "I want to. But I know I won't be able to stop."

"Maybe I don't want you to stop."

"Not before I give you something." He pulled away from her reluctantly and rose to his feet. "I have something for you. Hold on a second."

He walked away further into the apartment, and Maya groaned in annoyance that he was stalling the inevitable. What could he possibly have for her that he would purposely stop where things were clearly headed. He was cockblocking himself and her, and she horny dammit!

"Hurry up Sundance." Maya called out, "It's only my birthday for another thirty minutes. And then I can't order you around anymore."

Lucas chuckled as he came back to the living room, walking around the sofa and sitting down next to her. He had a mid sized square velvet box in his hands and Maya stared at it, her brows furrowed anxiously.

"Lucas… what is that?"

He smiled as she reached over and opened the lid. It was a gorgeous golden locket with her name engraved on it in cursive. Her brows lifted in surprise as she gingerly took it out, her fingers shaking the slightest bit. She'd wanted one of these since she was young, but had never been able to afford one.

"You said you've always wanted one, Maya. A locket to put a picture of your family in." Lucas said softly with a smile, "And I know I can never take the place of your mother, but I want you to know you have another family of your own too. You, me, and Jellybean."

"…You're going to have to work really hard to top a present like this in the future." She joked, though her voice cracked and she could feel the back of her eyes stinging with tears.

Maya handed it to him as she turned her back on him and Lucas gently brushed aside her hair, wrapping the chain around her neck before clasping it shut. Maya stared down at it against her chest, touching it lightly and knowing she was a few seconds from bursting into tears. She was unbelievably lucky to have Lucas. So unbelievably lucky that he cared about her. That he was sticking around with her.

Her heart lurched in a maelstrom of emotions as she turned back around to face Lucas. His smile was warm and his sea foam gaze was loving and affectionate. He was watching her like there was no one else in the world he would rather be with, and something in his gaze lit her heart on fire.

He meant the world to her. He really did.

Maya took his face in her hands and left a lingering kiss on his lips, her cheeks wet from the trail of tears that were tumbling down her face.

"Thank you. Honestly." She smiled against his lips.

Lucas cupped the back of her neck, leaning forward and deepening the heated kiss. She sighed into his mouth, sliding her hands into his hair as he slowly drove her mind to an insatiable need to be fucked. Their short, languid kisses all melded and blurred into one to the point where Maya wasn't sure which one ended and which one began. She climbed on his lap, moaning as his tongue caressed hers, causing fire to pool low in her abdomen. His hands trailed up her thighs, gripping her ass under her dress and pulling her flush against him.

Maya felt like she was free falling. She felt weightless, like that moment right as a rollercoaster dropped. It was a terrifying feeling, and she held Lucas tighter, loving the soft groan he released into her mouth as she pressed against his erection. She wanted him so badly, her head was dazed and swimming in a haze of lust.

He toyed with the strap of her panties, sliding his fingers underneath the fabric, tugging slightly. Maya squirmed in his lap, the grazing of her panties against her sensitive area causing a jolt of electricity to shoot to her core.

Maya broke the kiss, panting slightly against his lips, her body craving more attention between her legs.

"Lucas _fuck_…" she said breathlessly when one of his hands slid into the front of her panties and he stroked her languidly. "Wait. Hold on. Let's change positions."

"Why?" he muttered, his gaze crackling with heat as he watched her reaction to his teasing.

"Your legs will get tired. I'm heavy. And gross."

"You're not. You're not heavy, you're not gross, you're not anything you're thinking right now." He stopped his motions and watched Maya seriously. "I told you already. You're beautiful, Maya. You always have been, and you always will be."

Her heart skipped a beat.

"Lucas…"

He smiled deviously against her lips, capturing the gasp that she let out when he hooked his finger inside her.

"Happy birthday, Maya…"

She moaned and captured his lips again, silencing any other words he might have had with a filthy, tongue filled kiss.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Enjoy the fluff, because after this... DRAMA ;3 And good riddance! I'm so sick of writing all these damn kiss scenes lol! It's a lot of work and all this fluff is giving me hives! LOL fluff is literally the hardest thing to write.  
**

**Awww thank you for all the encouragement. You guys are honestly too good to me! I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thank you for the kind reviews and being patient with me! :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own GMW, but Lucaya is bae.**

* * *

"Maya, I don't know if anyone has told you this, but you are such a cute little pregnant girl." Missy said, leaning on a desk and watching Maya as she painted.

"Stop it. Shouldn't you be in Yearbook Club right now?"

"Cancelled."

"So shouldn't you be at work then?"

"My shift doesn't start for another hour." Missy waved off her diversions. "Besides, we're talking about how cute you are. I mean you're just small, and you've got this round belly and you're just so _tiny_. It is the cutest thing. No wonder Lucas can't keep his hands off of you. Every time I see you in the hall, he's always hugging you or touching you."

Maya rolled her eyes. Missy wasn't the only one who was obsessed with telling her how apparently cute she was while pregnant. Riley would squeal all the time about how adorable she was. Then Topanga and Cory had joined in on the fun. And even Shawn, who had been the most reserved about the pregnancy, couldn't help but gush over her sometimes. And don't even get her started on Lucas and Lila. She had thought Lucas' behaviour was annoying, but Lila took it to a whole new level.

But it was nice that she was pulling all the stops to make sure Maya was comfortable and felt welcomed in her home. Lila said it was because she'd never had a chance to have a daughter to pamper and her pregnancy with Lucas was so high risk that she'd been too terrified to even try for another child. Maya was like the daughter she'd never had. And that did manage to bring a smile to Maya's face, so she just let her do as she wished.

"So what did you and Lucas do for Valentine's Day? You never actually told me."

Maya snorted. "That was two weeks ago, Missy. It's almost March."

"All you told me is that you enjoyed the date. And I was away on college visits for a while. So tell me now. Where did he even take you?"

"We went to the fair. That's all."

"Nope." Missy shook her head, a sly smile in place. "That's not good enough. Details please."

Maya sighed, setting her brush down and absentmindedly fiddling with the locket around her neck. She knew Missy wouldn't let it go no matter what she said.

"That's literally it. We went to the fair. He won me a bear at the dunk tank and then he took me to his place and made me dinner. What more do you want to know?"

"_Ooooh_ made you a dinner?! Was it good?"

"Amazing." Maya said, smiling to herself.

"Damn. Your husband can do everything."

Maya rolled her eyes. People had taken to calling them husband and wife recently thanks to Missy. It didn't bother Maya totally, but she did get a little flustered from the implication. Sure, they spent a lot of time together, and she basically was living with him by that point, but they were far from that. And Maya still had her reservations on letting Lucas in on occasion. He respected her when she needed her space, but she could see that he was slowly wedging himself in past her guard. And she knew slowly she was letting him.

"So then what?"

"What nothing." Maya said, averting her gaze slightly from Missy's shrewd look.

"You said you were at his place. Did you spend the night? And by spend the night, I mean _spend the night_." She said, waggling her eyebrows.

Maya said nothing, pretending she was suddenly interested in a smudge on her canvas.

"You're avoiding answering me."

"I'm not."

"Oh I see… Missy grinned widely, her eyes shining in mirth. "He took _good_ care of you, didn't he?"

Maya fought the blush that threatened to take over her face. That night had been pretty crazy. She still was plagued by memories of the way Lucas had absolutely made her lose her mind in pleasure. The date itself was memorable, but damn, the end of it had left Maya a total mess for a couple days.

Lila hadn't been kidding about the intense sex drive.

_Great. _

And now she was horny.

"C'mon. Details. I know you want someone to talk to about this. Did he go down on you?"

"…yes."

Missy laughed. "What else?"

"I'm not disclosing any more details you nasty, pervy girl."

Because the things he'd done to her were pretty nondisclosable. She'd take them with her to the grave.

"Oh c'mon! We could totally swap sex stories."

Maya rose a brow. "Wow. Really?"

"I'm sure they swap sex stories during their baseball practice."

"Maybe later. And by later, I mean thirty years from now when I'm no longer anywhere near you."

Missy laughed, picking up her school bag from the floor. "I read online that some pregnant women are horn dogs. Are you? How much sex do you actually have on a regular basis?"

_A lot_.

She kind of tended to attack Lucas when she saw him. But she couldn't help it. Every time his lips curved into that sexy smirk as he saw her, Maya lost it. She'd forced him to skip bio quite a handful of times for that very reason. She blamed the hormones. (Although she couldn't deny that her psycho, raging sex hormones were a blessing in disguise). She felt a little bad for him. On evenings she spent the night at the Friar's, Lucas was almost always yawning all day the next day. She knew some of the team teased him and gave him shit for being "whipped" but joke was on them, because Lucas was getting laid pretty often. And they weren't.

Maya stepped away from her canvas, deciding it was just better to finish out this painting another day. Her thoughts were all on Lucas now and there was no way she'd be able to focus.

"Not telling." She finally said, gathering her books to put in her school bag. Riley would be coming soon and they would walk home together. She'd started to reduce her work schedule, only going a few times a week since she was growing larger now and overworking herself wasn't recommended.

"Aww you're no fun." Missy stuck out her tongue, waving as she made her way out of the room. "I'm off to work. Bye."

Maya chuckled to herself as she gathered her stuff and made sure to clean up her area. She put all her materials back in her cubby and washed off dried paint from the paintbrushes. Then she made sure all of the paint was closed properly and all the paper put back away. Ms. Kossal was all for letting students use the facilities after school to their heart's content, but recently, people had been leaving the room a mess and not cleaning up after themselves. Maya didn't want the priviledge taken away, because she needed the classroom to paint.

"Knock, knock."

Maya turned with a smile as Lucas walked into the room.

"Thought you had to get to baseball practice?"

"I do." Lucas said with a smirk, sliding his arms around her torso and pulling her to him. "I just wanted to say goodbye to my girlfriend before I left."

"Aww Huckleberry. Can't live without me?" Maya said playfully, craning her neck up and smirking, "I'm staying at your place this weekend, you know? You'll have all weekend to see me."

"I know…" He said softly, gently rubbing her back. He glanced up at the wall behind her and his brows lifted in surprise. "Hey. Is that me?"

Maya knew what he was talking about. Ms. Kossal had put the seniors' last semester oil pastel projects up on the wall to show the underclassman what kind of work she expected in the future. Maya had used as many colours as possible to recreate the shadows of the silhouette of Lucas throwing a football. The colours weren't necessarily right. But the one thing that she'd definitely made sure to remain the same was his beautiful sea-foam coloured eyes.

"When did you draw that?"

"Last semester. It was my final project." Maya said, a little embarrassed he had seen it. "I was going to give it to you as a Christmas gift, but I chickened out."

"Any chance I could have it now? I love it."

"What?" she snorted. "Didn't think you were that vain, Sundance."

He leaned down, grasping Maya's chin and tilting it up. "I want it because everything you make is special to me, Maya."

Fuck.

"Good answer…" she murmured.

He closed the distance between their lips. Maya sighed into the kiss, lost in the sensation of his mouth moving with hers. It was perfection every time he would kiss her. A kind of nirvana that she knew only Lucas could help her reach.

She pushed against his chest, putting a bit of distance between them, face flushed as she tried to catch her breath.

"Lucas, if you keep kissing me, I won't let you leave for practice."

He said nothing, only covering her mouth with his again, engaging her in a sensual kiss that made her knees buckle. She climbed up on the table behind her, gripping the top of Lucas' uniform and tugging him forward so their kiss wouldn't get broken. She leaned into him, that familiar surge of arousal coursing through her veins once again, only made stronger by the fact that Lucas was in his uniform. She didn't know what it was about him in his baseball uniform, but it always had been a turn on for her.

He broke the kiss with a sharp intake of breath when she brushed her fingers against the front of his pants.

"Maya… I have to go…or we won't be able to stop."

But he didn't let go of her. He nuzzled her neck, breathing slowly to control himself, his hands rubbing languid circles on the skin under her top (and when had his hands gotten there anyway?) Maya sucked in a few shallow breaths of air, feeling flushed and revived and suddenly wanting it more than she ever had before.

"Get your pants off." Maya said.

Lucas raised his head and met her gaze, looking a little surprised, though not looking like he was about to object.

"In here?"

Talking about Valentine's Day with Missy had made her super horny. And kissing Lucas had brought her over the edge of her self-control.

"Yes here. So get your pants off."

With almost no hesitation, Lucas started unbuckling his belt, unlatching it while Maya kissed him heavily, scooting forward and wrapping her legs around his waist. She laced her fingers in his hair, pulling him closer as he undid the snap of his pants. He pushed her skirt up her thighs, leaning her back onto the table as he hovered over her, one hand braced beside her. Maya slipped her tongue in his mouth, moaning when he cupped her with his hand.

She knew it was potentially risky getting her Lucas fix in a classroom where the door wasn't even closed, but the school day had ended a little while ago, and the thrill of it was actually turning Maya on more.

"Maya?"

And then there was an embarrassed squeak of surprise as the voice of Riley suddenly disappeared.

"Oh! Sorry guys!" she said from the hallway.

Maya could just imagine her covering her eyes, her cheeks burning red at the indecent display. They hadn't actually done anything yet, but Lucas' back was facing the door, and Maya could only imagine what it looked like from Riley's angle with him leaning over Maya and her legs wrapped around him.

Maya snorted and pushed Lucas to get up. He lifted himself off of her, his face the slightest bit red at almost getting caught as he rearranged his pants.

"It's all good, Riley." Maya called out, though she did note that Lucas looked _very_ put off. She leaned up and pressed her lips to his cheek apologetically. "Lucas has practice to go to anyway."

She couldn't imagine how unpleasant it would be for him to have to go through practice with a boner though.

"Maya… why do you do this to me?" He said in faux despair.

"Don't sweat it, Huckleberry…" She grinned, climbing off the table with a soft pat to his cheek. "I'll make it up to you later."

"You'd better." He whispered in her ear. "Or I won't let you sleep tonight."

With a final kiss to her lips, he left the room with an amused smile as Riley walked in, peeking cautiously through her fingers.

"She's all yours, Riley."

Maya picked up her bag from the floor, slinging it over her shoulder.

"I'm sorry I interrupted your… _moment_."

"It's no problem. I'm sure someone else would have walked in on us eventually. I think it's better that you did."

Riley's face wrinkled in slight disgust with a tinge of mortification at the memory of what she'd seen, and Maya laughed, walking with her out of the classroom. She was only going home with Riley to pack for her weekend stay at the Friars. She was actually looking forward to spending time watching Lucas and his dysfunctional, but very heartwarming relationship with his mother.

It never ceased to amaze Maya how lucky she was that she'd ended up becoming close to two families who treated her as a daughter as well. Although, one downside to staying at the Friars was that Lila forced her to do stretches, weight training, and yoga, claiming that it was to boost the lethargic endorphins in her body. But Maya had a feeling it was because Lila was appalled by all the sweets (and ketchup) that had become Maya's sole dietary cravings, and she was trying to even it out with some healthiness.

They continued their walk down the sidewalk towards Riley's complex. Riley was skipping beside Maya, humming to herself, her face extra bubbly.

"So, have you had any movement from Jellybean yet? You're twenty-five weeks in. Shouldn't you be worried?"

"Still no." Maya smiled, resting her hand on her abdomen and rubbing it lightly. "Dr. Torres told Lucas and me a while ago that it's because I have an anterior placenta."

"What does that mean? Is it bad?"

"No it's alright. My placenta is just kind of towards the front. But it also is kind of lying low, I think a bit of it is still partially covering my cervix. It's like a pillow, so that might be why I haven't felt any fluttering. But she thinks I'll definitely feel kicking when the baby wants to start hitting me. In any case, I'm not worried about it. Jellybean will start fighting me when she's ready."

Riley laughed. "Something tells me she's going to be super feisty. Like you."

"Probably. And I'm probably going to feel it pretty harshly." Maya prodded her swell curiously, "She's pretty big. She's measuring in at about the size of a twenty-nine week old fetus."

"Do you think she'll take after you or Lucas in height?"

"Probably Lucas…" Maya grumbled in annoyance, "Lila told me her pregnancy with Lucas was the same way. Apparently, he was a pretty big baby. And then he grew tall pretty quickly. Damn. Now I'll probably know how Topanga felt with you shooting up taller than her at twelve."

"It's alright! I'm sure your second baby will take after you."

"Second baby?"

"Because you and Lucas are married. Of course you're going to have more kids."

Maya shot her an annoyed look but Riley only grinned, ignoring her.

When they finally reached her room, Riley helped Maya pack her overnight bag, that same contented smile on her lips as she giggled slightly to herself.

"Riley, what is up with you?" Maya asked curiously. Riley was by nature usually cheerful, but she was just outright sparkles and sunshine right then.

"So you know how I went on that mini college weekend at Yale two weeks ago?"

"Yeah?"

Riley squealed slightly. "I attended this interesting course about names and the meaning of names and what names _can_ mean and the importance of names in some cultures. And then I figured out Jellybean's."

Maya's brows lifted as she paused in folding a dress. "What did you come up with?"

"Mia as a first name. Because she's your beloved. Your darling Jellybean. Rebecca as a middle name. Mia Rebecca Hart. Or Mia Rebecca Friar too, I guess. She's your beloved who tied two very clueless, dense, and ridiculously bullheaded people who were in denial together." She smiled sheepishly. "Do you like it? Because I can change it if you don't. This name just feels right."

"Riley. I love it." Maya said, hugging Riley with a happy laugh. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Riley laughed.

~.~.~

"Okay…" Maya muttered to herself, staring at the batch of misshapen cookies on the tray in the kitchen. "These look a little better than the last batch."

Maya didn't know why, but recently, she'd wanted to try to get better at domestic duties. Lucas already had that skill on lock, but Maya sure as hell didn't want to be that mother who couldn't cook and would always order take out. Katy had been right all those months ago when she'd mentioned Maya couldn't cook. It wasn't a necessity, she knew, but Maya also knew that if she was going to be raising a baby and then a toddler and then a young child and then a teen, she would need to learn eventually. Lila had offered to give her lessons on her downtime, but Maya wanted to get better on her own. To have this accomplishment herself.

And though she did have a tendency to fuck up some stuff, she was getting a lot better. These cookies had turned out fairly well if she did say so herself.

Lucas came out of the hallway, rubbing his wet hair with a towel as he walked to the fridge and pulled it open.

"You made cookies?"

"Yeah…" Maya said, scrutinizing the bottom of one with a frown. It looked a little charred. Maybe it wouldn't taste burned though.

"Low cal? Sugar free?"

"No, they're regular." She sighed. At least she hoped they were. And not an absolute mess.

"How? My mom doesn't buy things like that."

"She does now." Maya said, walking over to him and tugging on his t-shirt to bring him forward. "I convinced her to ease up on the super healthy food so I can be comfortable. And since she absolutely _adores_ me, she agreed. Enjoy it while it lasts Huckleberry. After Jellybean comes, it's back to the healthy stuff."

"I knew there had to be at least one good thing to you living here since you take up all the room in my bed and eat everything."

Maya scoffed and rolled her eyes, pulling away from him, but he caught her wrist before she could get very far and tugged her back into him, snaking his arm around her and holding her tightly against him. Maya's face erupted in a small blush, a little taken aback by his heady green gaze.

"Where do you think you're going?" he murmured darkly, his hands slowly creeping down to her ass.

Without so much as a small, mischievous smirk, he moved in, crushing his lips to hers. It wasn't particularly gentle, and Maya gripped the back of his neck with a moan. Her head was spinning and she was dizzy out of her mind. It was almost too much, and she wondered why she was reacting so strongly to him. With a sharp intake of breath, she broke the kiss, turning her face away to catch her breath. Lucas peppered kisses along her face and jaw, slowly making his way to her neck.

"Give me some space, would you?" Maya said, sighing almost breathlessly.

"I don't want to."

"Why are you so clingy?"

He tugged on her earlobe with his teeth. "Because." He sucked on a sensitive part of her neck until she let out a low moan. "I finally have you. I'm catching up on three years of unrequited feelings."

"They weren't unrequited, Sundance… I just didn't know how to address them."

"You could have just told me."

"And risk rejection? No thanks."

He sighed, smiling in that fond way that also told her he was exasperated by her. She tugged away from him, heading back over to the stove top where the cookies rested.

"By the way, did I happen to leave my blue notebook sitting around anywhere in your room, Lucas?" Maya asked, poking at a cookie, "It's the one that has the letter to my dad in it. But I can't find it anywhere."

"Maya…" he said, coming up next to her and tilting her chin up so she could meet his serious gaze, "I sent it to your father."

Maya felt a flash of shock run down her back. She briefly wondered if he was just joking but when she saw how grave his expression was, hot rage burst inside her like a volcano.

"What the fuck, you dick?! Why would you send it to him?" Maya yelled, slapping his hand off her chin, "So now you're going behind my back and doing whatever the hell you want without letting me know? How the hell am I supposed to trust you if you do stuff like this?"

"Your mother asked me to."

Maya let out a shuddering breath, her eyes narrowing in fury. "Oh so now you and my mom are the best of friends, huh? What she requests is more important than what I want, huh?"

"It's not like that, Maya." Lucas looked remorseful. "I felt bad. She doesn't know how to talk to you anymore. How to contact you. I'm the only way she can get updates on how you are."

"Well tough shit! It's not my fault she's an incompetent mother who's incapable of speaking to her only daughter. Why the hell are you telling her about me anyway? I don't want her in my life." Maya spat. "I told you I'm done with her. Every week that goes by only reminds me more and more that she's not making any efforts. Who cares if she gave me a present for my birthday? Now I want to see her try to talk to me for once. What is she planning on doing? Just never talking to me again for the rest of our lives?"

"She feels guilty, Maya."

"And you!" she shouted, jabbing him in the chest, "You just can't let shit go! You keep pressing and pressing and pressing and making things worse and worse! Just _stop_ bringing her up! Let me keep my resolve dammit! I don't want to miss my mom anymore, okay?! Because every time I think I'm getting better, it only makes everything hurt more!"

And then she realized what had slipped from her mouth and Maya clammed up, dropping her gaze to the floor and sniffling slightly. Great. And now she was on the verge of crying again.

"You know what the problem here is?" Lucas said gently, taking her hand in his, "You're afraid. You're afraid of getting hurt, and it's understandable because you haven't had the easiest life. You're afraid of getting your hopes up because you think that the minute you do so is the minute that everything will crash and burn. It's a two way street though, Maya. Sure, Katy hasn't done the best job she could to find and talk to you again, but then again, neither have you."

Maya wiped her nose with her sleeve, chewing on her bottom lip with a frown.

"Just let me give up on her. And she needs to give up on me. We're only going to cause each other pain from now on."

"What if I told you she really is considering giving up on trying to be back in your life? What if I told you she knows deep down that you don't want to talk to her? Would that make you happy if she really did walk out of your life forever and let you be?"

A spark of fear went down Maya's back. "What? What do you mean?"

"Your letter to your dad." Lucas continued. "Remember when you told me you sent a letter to your dad that he never responded to when you were younger? That's because Katy lied to you about the address. And when the letter redirected back to the apartment, she threw it away."

"Why would she do that?"

"Because she was scared that you would develop a good relationship with your father despite the heartache you suffered from him deserting you two. And she got paranoid and wondered if you liked the life your father had better, would you pack up everything and leave her? So she made sure he never had contact with you and you never had contact with him. But she realized in doing so, she cut off a source of support you could have had through your pregnancy that she failed to give you. So she wanted to make amends. She knows that you've been secretly writing letters to him that have never been sent. So she asked me to send them."

"You should have told me first!" Maya said, pulling her hand out of Lucas', "Who cares if my mother wanted me to send it? What if I made a conscious decision years ago that in the end, I didn't want to talk to my father? That I didn't want to share my life with him?"

"If you didn't want him to know your life, then why are your letters addressed to him? You could have easily just made it a journal."

"Regardless." Maya turned away from him, crossing her arms over her chest. "It wasn't your right to make that decision. And it hurts that you would even do that to me in the first place. I know you care… but sometimes you just do too much. And I'm not comfortable with that."

He sighed behind her. "You're right. I'm sorry. It wasn't my place."

"Lucas, if we're going to make this work, please stop with this meddling stuff. If you're talking to my mother now, that's fine. But I don't want you to make any decisions pertaining to me without my approval. Especially decisions like this."

"I understand."

"Why did you send it?"

"I don't know. I guess your mother's words resonated. I wanted someone in your family to support you. I know it upsets you that neither are in the picture right now. So I hoped that maybe your father could be there for you. Fill in that gap. Because I know even if we all try to fill the void in your heart, not having support from your own parents is always going to create a new one. I just wanted you to be happy for once."

Stupid Lucas and his stupid misguided desire to make her happy no matter what. She couldn't stay mad at him when he was so earnest in his care for her. Almost to a fault.

She turned around with a sigh, resting her forehead against his chest.

"Lucas. I'm always going to be upset because of my parents not being in my life right now. That's not going to change even years from now if they miraculously both are in my life again; I'll still feel the pain from the years without their support." She wrapped her arms around him, breathing in his calming scent, "But I _am_ happy. I have Riley and the Matthews, Farkle, Missy, your mom… you. You guys make me happy. You don't have to try so hard to make me happy, okay? Because I am. Honest."

He smiled, embracing her and tucking her under his chin.

"Alright, Shortstack." He kissed the top of her head, rubbing soothing circles on her lower back. "So how can I get you to forgive me for overstepping boundaries? Because I'm sorry. I really am. I won't do anything again without consulting you first."

"Well the damage is already done. He's going to read it now. But…" She dragged out the word, pulling away from him and staring at the cookies on the stove. "You could try one of the cookies I made. I would do it myself, but you know. Poison wouldn't be good for the baby."

Lucas had a funny look on his face. "But you're okay with me eating the poison."

She shrugged playfully. "You wanted to be forgiven."

He sighed, nodding dejectedly and reached over, picking one of the somewhat charred cookies. He took a bite of it and Maya watched his expression attentively, trying to pick up on any signs of disgust or discomfort.

"Wow…" he said at length, chewing contemplatively.

"Is it actually good?"

"This is…" He frowned. "Quite literally the worst cookie I've ever had."

Maya's face fell. "Shut up, Huckleberry."

"Seriously, I don't know anyone else who can mess cookies up so badly."

"Ever had Riley's cooking?"

"If it's just as bad as yours then I definitely don't want to try it."

"Hey shut up!"

"I mean I just don't understand. You follow the recipe, make the batter, put it on the sheet, stick it in the oven. Take it out when it's done."

"Look you. Some of us aren't gifted with the magical ability to just do everything perfectly on our first try you know. Not to mention I didn't have the chance to watch anyone cooking growing up so this is brand new to me. It comes harder to some people you—

Her words were cut off and swallowed by Lucas' mouth pressing on hers without warning and distracting her from whatever it was she had been saying. Maya whimpered slightly when his tongue lightly brushed hers. A spark of arousal danced through her body as he broke the kiss, sucking on her lower lip before letting it go.

"Stop doing that." she groaned.

"Doing what?" He asked simply, his eyes dancing mischievously.

"Provoking the horny bear."

"I wasn't aware I was."

She stared up at him, her heart jumping in her chest in that way that felt way more intense than the flutters of the butterflies in her stomach. Lucas smiled, leaning down and slowly kissing her, stealing a groan from her lips. When he pulled away, he rested his forehead against hers, gently rocking them side to side. Maya knew her heart rate had quickened beyond what was normal. She felt light, airy. Like she could conquer anything the world threw at her.

And she knew it was because of Lucas.

"You're right…" she muttered, "Those cookies were terrible. I can taste them."

Lucas laughed, his fingers brushing against her skin as he toyed with the hem of her shirt. A jolt of pleasure ran down her back, and Maya's brain hopped willingly into the gutter.

"Where's your mom?"

"Stuck at work. She'll be back way late in the evening."

"So we're alone?" Maya said, waggling her eyebrows as she tugged at the waistband of his pants, "Because if I recall correctly, I need to make it up to you…"

"Oh yeah? What did you have in mind?"

Maya held his gaze, slowly guiding him backwards out of the kitchen and through the living room until the back of his legs met the sofa. She pushed him and he sat back, an eyebrow raised as she stared down at him. Then she slowly lowered herself until she was on her knees, crouched in between his legs. Lucas' gaze darkened as she stared up at him, inching her hand up his thighs towards his arousal before popping open the button of his pants.

"Maya…"

She bit her lower lip playfully, loving the way his breathing harshened when she brushed her knuckles against his erection.

"Just relax…" she purred.

~.~.~

"Is that actually comfortable?" Lucas asked curiously, glancing down at her as he walked around the sofa after dimming the main lights of the living room.

Maya tilted her head up from her recline on the floor, shifting the pillow under her hips a bit.

"Surprisingly, yeah." Maya said, "It feels better for my back and hips."

He settled on the floor, lying beside her and leaning on his elbow as he watched her. Maya tried to fight her blush at the dazed happiness in his expression, though she knew it was useless. There was nothing she could do to keep her face from blossoming in colour when Lucas looked at her like that.

Like he loved her.

She moved her hand across her abdomen, applying a little pressure every once in a while.

"What are you doing?" Lucas asked, yawning, "Your hands, I mean."

"Trying to see if I can get her to kick me." Maya admitted honestly, glancing up at Lucas. "I know Dr. Torres told us not to worry, but it's kind of disconcerting not to feel her moving."

She wanted to connect with Jellybean. Feel that special moment mothers raved about where their babies would respond back to them in their own way with kicks and movement. She wanted to start getting to know her Jellybean. What made her tick, what excited her, what made her react.

Lucas' gaze softened. "Maybe she just needs more encouragement."

"What do you mean?"

Lucas peeled up the bottom of her shirt and linked the fingers of his hand with one of Maya's hands, gently guiding their conjoined hands around the swell of her belly. Maya's skin prickled in excitement, her heart racing. For some reason, the feeling like they were a married couple wouldn't leave her mind.

"She just needs to know we're both here and waiting for her. Sing something."

Maya frowned. "If she hasn't responded to me talking to her, what makes you think she's going to respond to me singing?"

"It's worth a try, isn't it?" he said, shit eating grin in place despite his obvious fatigue.

"Lucas, that's ridi—"

And they both froze when they felt a bump against their conjoined hands. It felt something like a muscle spasm, and Maya hopped in surprise. Without a doubt, she knew exactly what it was.

"Holy shit! She kicked, Lucas! Jellybean kicked!" Maya gasped, giggling excitedly. "Did you feel that?!"

"It was like she was telling us to shut up or something." Lucas laughed, a similar look of peaceful bliss on his face.

"Let's try to get her to kick again!" Maya poked her belly with her free hand. "Jellybean. Mia. Mommy's here. Can you hear me?"

There was no response.

"Let me try." Lucas leaned slightly down, so his voice was projected towards her abdomen.

"Hey Jellybean. It's Daddy. We're going to name you Mia. Do you like your name?"

There was another bump against their hands and Lucas gave Maya a smug look, eyebrow raised in amusement.

"She likes me better than you." He teased.

"Urgh…" Maya rolled her eyes, knowing he was going to bring this up forever.

Why did she have a feeling their kid would really become a daddy's girl?

"Jellybean, you traitor." Maya harangued playfully. "I've been carrying you for twenty-five weeks and this is how you repay me?"

She felt another quivering-like sensation in her abdomen, and she let out a soft laugh, feeling unbelievable elation from knowing that Jellybean was responding to her. Actually moving and responding and kicking to their words. Maya had always known she was alive, especially since she could see her heartbeat during ultrasounds, but having this physical proof, feeling her motions, was absolutely surreal.

"She's really alive…" Lucas said, sounding awed. "This is so crazy…"

"I know…" she said softly, turning her head and smiling at Lucas.

He leaned in and kissed her, a slow, sweet thing that made Maya's heart feel like it was bursting out of her chest. When he pulled away, she held his affectionate gaze, knowing exactly what he was saying to her without words.

It was the same thing she was saying to him too.

She wasn't exactly sure how long they laid there, staring at each other without saying anything, just basking in each other's presence, fingers intertwined and resting on her abdomen while Jellybean occasionally took sharp whacks at her. But at some point, Lucas' breathing grew heavy and even and his eyes drooped shut. She watched him as he slept peacefully, his face relaxed and snoring softly. Maya laughed to herself. He must have been extremely tired.

She lightly raked her fingers through his boyish hair, feeling bliss like no other that she had the chance to be with him like this. Sometimes she vaguely wondered if she hadn't gotten pregnant, would she and Lucas have survived their friendship? Would they even be where they were at the moment? Could they still have made it past their odds and become friends again? Could they have made it past friendship and into this?

Or would they have remained something that never quite happened? A regret.

The thought of not being with Lucas made her heart lurch for a moment, and Maya realized with terrifying clarity just how strong her feelings were. How quickly they'd been building. She knew exactly what the feelings were.

"Huckleberry… I think I love you." She whispered before promptly blushing, because she'd never be able to say that to his face. It was terrifying. "Hell, that's a lie. I don't think. I know I love you, Lucas. I can't trace the exact moment when I fell in love with you, but here we are. And here I am: head over heels and confessing and you're sleeping."

Lucas continued to snore on, completely oblivious to her confession, and Maya let out a small laugh, snuggling beside him as Jellybean kicked once again.

The front door unlocked and Maya heard Lila trudge in and head towards the back then freeze midway in her path. She peeked over the edge of the couch, staring at Maya with a raised eyebrow.

"You two look comfortable."

Maya smiled. "It actually does feel better on the ground than on the actual bed."

"Alright." She said, lifting her hands up and shaking her head as if to say 'you crazy kids', "Don't mind me then. Let me just grab some dinner, and I'll give you guys some privacy."

Maya heard her walking away and then there was a shocked gasp.

"What the hell happened to my kitchen?!"

"Right… I tried to bake something…" Maya said sheepishly. "I'm sorry."

"I'm assuming, judging by the state of these cookies, that Lucas was not present."

"He was taking a shower."

"So Lucas let you use the stove by yourself…" Lila growled menacingly, "Oh he is so going in the shed…"

Maya chuckled softly in response, her eyes drooping slightly in fatigue. She smiled peacefully, really happy with the way things were turning out in life.

Sure, she wasn't even sure if she had parents anymore, but she hadn't been lying to Lucas. She was _happy_. Actually happy for the first time in a very long time. And she had hope. The future didn't look so bleak anymore. In fact, she welcomed it with open arms. She believed things would turn out great. She had so many people to care for her and take care of her and help her as she continued on with her life.

And she had Lucas and Jellybean.

A family of her own.

Things would turn out well. She was sure of it.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: On y va :3  
**

**Thank you for the reviews you guys! I honestly appreciate the time you took to comment! It means so much to me! (And obviously I love you all!) :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own GMW, but Lucaya is bae.**

* * *

Maya watched the screen of the ultrasound as Dr. Torres slid around the transducer, still wondering if she would ever be able to read it or even understand what was going on with Jellybean. But where Jellybean used to be a sort of tiny long blob, Maya could now make out the shape of her head and her nose and her little hand moving around. Her baby had started out so small, a little jellybean looking thing, and had over time grown into the form of a human being. It was actually pretty amazing.

But Maya could definitely make out Jellybean's spazzing limbs and wiggling around. It was kind of hilarious.

"Your baby just won't stop moving." Dr. Torres said in slight awe, "She's jolting the transducer around so much. Do you want to watch her respond to words? Say something to her."

"Jellybean." She cooed to her abdomen, "I want your first word to be Huckleberry so we can surprise your daddy. What do you say?"

Maya felt the strike and watched the ultrasound as a somewhat distorted fist moved. She laughed and poked her side gently as Dr. Torres then moved around the image. She felt like she'd finally transcended early pregnancy and was now in the nesting period, cleaning literally _everything_ and just waiting for her baby to finally arrive. She'd hit all the check points by that point. Vomiting until she was dizzy, the neverending nausea, wild cravings for food, seeing the heartbeat, hearing the heartbeat, finding out the gender, figuring out the name, moving, kicking.

Now all that was left was waiting for Jellybean to finally arrive in about ten weeks.

"Alright. We should be just about…" Dr. Torres paused, a frown on her face as she moved the transducer once again. "Hmmm…"

Maya's gaze shot to her OB, a little perturbed by her contemplative expression. That didn't sound good.

"Is there a problem?"

"Remember how I told you your placenta was covering part of your cervix a while back? I was hoping by now it would have moved more but it still seems to be in relatively the same place."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that if your placenta stays where it is, the delivery of your baby could result in some severe bleeding. We might have to look into Caesarean section as a delivery method if you want to safely birth Jellybean."

Maya's brows furrowed as her heart started racing.

"Isn't that surgery?"

Dr. Torres smiled sympathetically. "Yes, I know it is surgery, and it sounds a little scary, but it would be for your own good. Jellybean cannot really be birthed naturally with part of your placenta over your cervix, and you risk losing a lot of blood during labour if we even try. And even with a blood transfusion, you'll be putting your life at risk. A C-section would be for your own good and would be a safer method for Jellybean's birth."

"Okay. I understand." Maya chewed on her thumbnail.

"I know it sounds kind of scary, but as we approach your due date, we will explain the procedure to you and anyone involved so that you know what you'll be going into. You have nothing to worry about."

Even though she said that, Maya was worried. Normally, she would come with Lucas to her appointment, but he had a baseball game that day and couldn't get out of it. And Riley was on her way back from visiting a university in DC and wouldn't be in until later. Even Farkle was gone and attending a gala for STAR students. She would have asked Topanga or Lila as a backup, but she had assumed it would just be her usual routine checkup and she would be fine. But she hadn't expected this C-section talk. She needed some support or reassurance because she was terrified.

"Well is Jellybean okay? You know, with this whole placenta thing?"

"Oh absolutely." Dr. Torres smiled. "Placenta previa usually is not a life threatening situation provided that you stay away from _physical exertion_."

Maya's face fell.

"By physical exertion, do you mean…?"

"Yes Maya. I'm going to have to ask that you abstain from sexual intercourse for the remainder of your pregnancy."

Her brows lifted in shock. "Wait, are you serious? How? I can barely make it through the day without jumping his bones."

And then she promptly blushed when she realized what she had accidentally revealed.

"I-I mean… you know." She tried to play it cool, though she was sure her face was tomato red. "But it's not like I have sex any more than the next person."

"I'm sure you and Lucas can figure it out. There are plenty of ways to satisfy physical intimacy needs without the need for intercourse. We have some brochures at our front desk." Dr. Torres chuckled to herself. "It might be hard for you to change up routine Maya, but sex can trigger bleeding. Which you don't want. You might have been fine up until now, but better safe than sorry. I wouldn't recommend heavy exercise either. Just light motions. The yoga you've been doing should be fine as well as Kegel exercises. But stay away from exercises that may cause jolting or a lot of moving. I know you told me you've recently only started going to school and work three days of the week. But I'm going to have to ask you at this time just for safety's sake that you refrain from going to school or work at all. There are too many wildcards and risks and someone knocking you down could jar the placenta and cause placental abruption."

"What the hell is placental abruption?"

"It's not super common, but it happens. A placental abruption is a separation of your placenta from the uterine wall. Your baby will be devoid of oxygen if it occurs and you will hemorrhage. It's a pretty dangerous situation for a pregnant woman and her baby, because a lot of them occur after accidents or injuries, but are not detected. But vaginal bleeding can sometimes be a sign of abruption." Dr. Torres stated, diligently wiping Maya's abdomen of the gel. "You might experience some light, painless vaginal bleeding here and there during the remainder of your pregnancy that will go away on its own and then come back, especially as your baby continues to move. It's likely to be because of the previa, but just to be safe, any time it occurs, please call me immediately. We must monitor you more carefully."

"Am I high risk?" Maya asked softly, her voice a thin whisper, fright coursing through her body.

She'd heard a lot of stories about Lila's high risk pregnancy. How many miscarriages she'd had before she got lucky with Lucas. How terrifying it was that any moment, she could lose her baby and how as she got closer to her due date, she became extremely paranoid and how after Lucas was born a bit premature, she grew unbelievably anxious and stressed that he wouldn't make it. That was one of the reasons why Lila was so obsessed about healthy lifestyles and living. She just wanted her baby boy to remain healthy.

"Not particularly high risk, per se." Dr. Torres said, tossing her gloves in the trash. "Just that we need to be cautious. Remember what I told you. I want to make this pregnancy as comfortable as I can for you. You'll be fine as long as you just avoid situations that could hurt you. Don't worry. Everything will go swimmingly."

"Okay…"

Maya chewed her lower lip in worry as she sat up and lifted her leggings up. This was the very worst time for her to end up in an appointment by herself. She really needed Lucas' steady presence there to help calm her down. He was the only one who could when Maya grew a little outlandishly emotional. Riley tended to be too agitated and she freaked out over things even more than Maya. She would leave him a voicemail and hopefully he'd answer on his way back after the game, and he could quell her fears.

"Is this my fault?" she asked as she stood.

Dr. Torres tossed her napkins in the trash and walked over to Maya with a warm, consoling smile. She pulled her into a tight hug, and Maya leaned into the older woman, accepting the soothing gesture. After a few moments, she held Maya a bit at arm's length, grasping her shoulders and looking at her seriously.

"Maya, this is in no way your fault. You can't decide where your placenta will attach. Yours just happened to end up in that position. You have done everything perfectly. And everything will be alright. You'll deliver your baby and you'll be an excellent mother, okay? This pregnancy has gone very well and I know it will end successfully as well."

Maya smiled slightly, a little bit comforted by the assurance.

"Okay. Thank you."

"You will be okay, Maya. But nonetheless, I'm going to begin setting up weekly scans so we can check the location of your placenta. There's still time for it to move. And if you experience any pain like period cramps, let me know."

Dr. Torres gave her a quick squeeze before leaving the room. Maya grabbed her stuff and left the office slightly on autopilot, waving at the receptionist as she made her way out to the hallway of the obstetrics floor. She leaned her head against the elevator once she got on, sighing to herself and absentmindedly rubbing her belly soothingly, her mind still racing from the information she came to learn.

As she left the hospital, she pulled out her phone from her bag, dialing Lucas' number.

_"Huckleberry can't come to the phone right now and even if you leave a message he probably won't call you back. Hell, why are you even calling him in the first place? Piss off…"_

Maya smiled as the automated beep went off.

"Hey Lucas… I know you're probably playing, but I came from my appointment, and I'm a little scared about something. It's nothing horrible at the moment, but you know how I get sometimes. I uh…" She rubbed the back of her neck. "I need you. I really need you right now… Call me as soon as you can?"

She ended the call and sighed, hoping he would be available soon.

"Everything will be fine, right Jellybean?"

There was a bump punctuating the fluttering and Maya smiled, glad that even in the absence of her friends and people who supported her, she still had a companion.

"Yeah. You're right." She rubbed her abdomen.

There was nothing to worry about.

"We'll probably be just fine."

~.~.~

"Goodness gracious, Maya…" Lila said with a raised brow, pressing her hand against Maya's abdomen. "Is Jellybean trying to burst out of you or something? She's really hitting you brutally hard."

Maya winced, taking a small pause from her Kegel exercises to ride out the wave of attack.

"I know…" She rested her hand on her abdomen and the kicking momentarily stopped, though Maya could still feel the fluttering. "Every time I take my hand off, she kicks the crap out of me. She's been at it for almost fifteen minutes…"

"Have you asked her to stop?"

"Multiple times. She won't listen."

"So she's stubborn like you, huh?" Lila laughed when Maya gave her a 'har har' look. "Are you hurting?"

"Not particularly, though it has been keeping me up at night. I mean, there are occasions where it feels like Jellybean is trying to hurt me. Like right now. I think she's mad at me." Maya laughed, stroking the swell, "I didn't have ketchup with dinner, and she's been kicking me ever since."

"That's quite funny." Lila laughed. "She must really take after you because Lucas was tranquil."

"I guess… I can't help but feel like she's doing it on purpose though."

"Oh the woes of motherhood… But at least your due date is approaching. In a little over ten weeks, you're going to have your baby. How does it feel?"

"Weird." Maya responded, smiling gratefully when Lila helped her carefully get to her feet, "I've been carrying her inside me for so long it's kind of weird thinking about not having her keeping me up at night with her violent kicks."

As if on cue, Jellybean kicked her again a couple times until Maya put her hand back onto her abdomen.

"Don't you worry about missing that. She'll just be keeping you up at night now with her crying." Lila said, smoothing down Maya's hair with a smile. "In any case, I'm just glad there are no complications for you."

"Right." Maya replied, trying not to let her guilt show on her face.

Honestly, she wanted to tell Lila about the appointment that afternoon, but she already worried enough about Maya. The last thing Maya wanted to do was give her added stress. Not to mention, Lila's fears of difficult pregnancies. Maya was certain Mama Friar would become _way_ over protective if she found out, and while Maya did appreciate her concerns, she needed her space sometimes.

Lila's phone pinged with the alert for a text message, and she glanced down at it, reading it before rolling her eyes with an annoyed growl.

"I have to go take care of something at the office." Lila said, "Damn incompetent interns…"

Maya laughed. "I understand."

"Will you be okay here by yourself, Maya?" Lila asked in concern, "I'll only be gone maybe an hour or two. And I'm sure Lucas will probably be back from his game by that time."

"I'll be fine. I'll probably just take a shower or a nap while you're gone."

"Alright." Lila grabbed her jacket and her keys before heading towards the door. "Don't hesitate to call if there are any problems. I'll be home lickety split."

She raced out of the door and Maya yawned, wondering if maybe she should just take a quick nap. By the time she woke up, she was sure Lucas or Lila would be back. Riley still hadn't responded to any texts yet, so Maya figured she was still on the road driving back with her dad.

Maya headed to Lucas' room when she heard her phone ringing. She picked it up from his desk, smiling to herself when she saw who was calling.

"Ranger Rick."

_"Maya, what's going on? Is everything alright? Your voicemail sounded like you were in some serious trouble."_

He sounded worried. She could hear the sounds of guys cheering and laughing in the background and shouting. They had probably won their game.

Yet, he'd called her first. God, she loved him so much.

"It's not as bad anymore. It's just that Dr. Torres told me I'll need a C-section if my placenta doesn't move. Apparently I could bleed a lot."

_"A C-section? Are you okay right now? There are no complications, are there?"_

"I'm fine. Just a little rattled." Maya sat on his bed, already feeling herself calming down considerably. "It's not high risk or anything. I just have to be careful not to get hit or fall."

He sighed in relief.

_"That's a relief. Maya, you scared the shit out of me."_

"I'm sorry. Thank you for calling me back."

_"How could I not when you ended your voicemail like that?"_

Maya chuckled softly. "You know what else she told me? No more sex."

_"Damn. So the Cave of Wonders is officially closed?"_

Maya snorted, rolling her eyes. She could just imagine his cheeky, teasing grin.

"You're such a dork, Sundance."

_"I guess lunch time hanky panky is out then too."_

"I guess so… I'm so mad right now. How the hell am I supposed relieve the pressure?"

_ "We'll figure out some alternatives. How about when I get back, we curl up under my covers, and I can just give you a massage? Nothing serious."_

"That sounds like heaven."

Maya was pretty sore after her day walking around everywhere, and she really needed loosening up.

_"Alright. The bus just left. We're heading back. See you in an hour or so?"_

"Thanks, Lucas. See you at home."

Maya ended the call feeling a lot better than she had the entire afternoon. Talking with him had really helped. She crawled onto his bed and under the covers, settling in and closing her eyes with a smile.

~.~.~

Maya walked through the living room, braiding her wet hair to keep the dripping contained in one spot on Lucas' t-shirt. It felt a little weird being at the apartment by herself. Maya had been used to being in her home all by herself for days at a time on occasion without seeing her mother in the past, but this just felt strange. Maybe it was because she had become so accustomed to always having either Lucas or Lila around to fuss over her.

She had been planning to sleep through their absences, but Jellybean hadn't wanted to keep still, so Maya had given up after a few restless minutes and decided to just take the shower. There was still quite a bit of time left in the hour before either of them would get home.

She vaguely wondered how she should enjoy her newfound temporary freedom. Maybe she'd eat that whole pint of Rocky Road in the freezer and have some ketchup with it to finally settle Jellybean's restless kicking.

"If I give you some ketchup, will you stop beating me up? I get it, okay?" Maya scolded playfully, massaging her sore abdomen, "You won't stop until I give you what you want. You better not try those games with me when you're finally out. I'm not going to fall for them. And don't you dare try to get your huckleberry father to override my rules. I'll kick his ass."

Maya opened the freezer and snatched out that pint before grabbing some ketchup from the fridge. She lathered the top with ketchup before grabbing a spoon and taking the first heavenly bite.

She started making her way to the living room to enjoy her treat and watch whatever was on, but on her way, the mail caught her eye. It seemed like Lila hadn't sorted any of it yet. Maya walked over to it, sifting through it indifferently, not expecting anything addressed to her. Since Lucas had sent the letter to her father, Maya hadn't expected any response of any kind. She checked every now and then, but Kermit hadn't made any efforts to contact her through all these years. Why would he respond now? Plus, a month had already gone by with no response yet. She believed it was pretty much safe to say that he'd made his decision.

He wanted nothing to do with Maya.

Which was why when she saw an envelope with _Maya Penelope Hart_ scrawled over the top, she almost went right by it, not really paying attention.

She doubled back, lifting it up slowly with raised eyebrows. She just knew what this was. No doubt this was from Kermit. There was no return address. Just the Friar's address in the top corner and Maya's name. Maya swallowed nervously, her appetite suddenly lost. No return address usually meant there was no desire for return contact. Was she about to get rejected?

Maya seriously contemplated not opening it. Just tossing it in the trash and moving on with her life.

But she was drawn to it. And something told her she should open it.

Holding her breath, Maya opened the envelope and pulled out the handwritten letter folded inside. Hands shaking slightly and brows knit in worry, she read.

_Dear Maya._

_Your boyfriend reached out to me and wrote me some pretty harsh words about me being a shit dad to you and leaving you and your mother without considering the consequences of my actions. He called me a Classic Clutterbucket. Which oddly enough, I was unsure what that meant until I read your letter and realized that it isn't a good thing. _

_And I deserve it._

_Maya. I know it's been a month since I got your notebook full of letters to me, and hell, I don't even know if you're going to read this, but I'm sorry it took so long for me to respond. _

_Here's the truth:_

_I was scared. I thought you would rip the letter up immediately and not even want to hear my explanation or anything I had to say in response. A lot of your words were very angry (justifiably angry), so I thought you wouldn't give a damn what I had to say. I_ _was also scared to read your letter because it was the first thing I've ever gotten from you in countless years and I thought all it would say was how you would never want to speak to me. I do want you to know that I tried a couple times to contact you, but Katy was adamant about keeping me away until now. And I completely understand. I deserted you both. I had no right to be a part of your life._

_But I took a chance to respond to your earnest words._

_Your letters made me cry, Maya. Do you mind if I keep them? I don't know if you want me to have them, but I want to keep them. It makes me feel like I've learned about you. That I've learned about your life Maya. That you've granted me glimpse I don't deserve into your life. I want to read this every day. I want to keep it so I never forget how my actions have truly hurt you both. This is my just punishment for being a coward and running away from a life I was lucky to have been given in the first place._

_I missed the chance to hold you in my arms, missed the chance to watch you grow, and believe me, not a day goes by that I don't regret my decisions. I know it's too late, but I wish I could do it all over. Even the part where Katy and I had you as teens. Yes, even the part where I was a "douche bag" as you called me and pressured Katy into having sex even though we didn't have any protection. Because despite my having been a tool for not respecting her fears, it did bring you into our lives. And you are a blessing. And even though I ran, I will never forget the day Katy gave birth to you, and I got to hold your precious little body in my arms. It was one of the proudest moments of my life. The day I truly realized I had brought to this world someone who would become extraordinary._

_Maya, I compel you to do what's best for you. Raise your Jellybean confidently if that's what makes you happy. Being a teenager who is pregnant is not the worst thing on the planet and it does not make you a bad person. The decisions you make from here on out, as long as they are thoughtful and mature, are what matter. You will be a wonderful mother. Just like Katy was to you. And look on the bright side. At least one good thing about me leaving you and your mother is that you will never turn out like me. You will never take after me. You won't be a Classic Clutterbucket, and for that I'm sincerely glad._

_I know that your child will grow up to be as wonderful a human being as you turned out to be, Maya. Especially since you have such a caring, loving boyfriend to take care of you and your baby. Jellybean is lucky to have you two as her parents. The love you two clearly have for each other will definitely play a huge role in the love she'll receive. She will be a loved, happy child because she will have great parents. I know I've forfeited the right to say anything like this, but I'm proud of you. In the face of adversity, you've soared unimaginably, and I honestly wish I could be there with you. I wish I could've done better with you. I wish I could have done better for Katy. _

_And for that, I'm sorry._

_I know it's too little too late, and I'm sure you probably won't forgive me any time soon. But I hope that one day, despite the fact that you hate me, I'll get a chance to meet Jellybean. That you'll give me the chance to slowly enter your life once again and learn about your family. That you'll give me the chance to meet all these wonderful people you've told me about in your life who have been your rocks and supports where I have failed. _

_I understand if you don't respond to me. But if you want to, Katy has my address. Go to her and talk to her Maya. You two need each other. I may be willing to come back in your life, but you and I both know that I'll never be anything more than an outsider. You'll always resent me for never being around and even if you open up to me, you'll always put distance between us. But Katy will always be the one who you need. She's been there for you all along. And you've been there for her all along. Lucas is right. You both need each other. So he requested I do this for your own good: if you want to continue talking to me, you will have to talk to Katy first. _

_Please._

_I may have deserted you both, but you've both persevered through all your hardships together. So please don't desert each other. _

_Good luck, Maya._

By the end of the letter, Maya was sniffling, her vision blurred with the thick tears pooling on her eyelids. Her lip trembled as she set the letter back onto the counter, staring at the wall with a small smile on her lips.

She wasn't even sure _what_ to think, but she knew that something inside her was about to burst out of her chest and make her break down in tears. She didn't know what she had expected him to say, but this was much more than she had ever hoped for.

And it made her unbelievably happy.

She felt on top of the world.

Behind her, the door of the apartment opened and then closed. Footsteps walked in, and Maya figured it was probably Lucas back from his game.

"Lucas." Maya laughed breathlessly, staring down at the letter. "My father finally responded. He apologized. And he thinks we'll make good parents."

"_Parents_?"

The deep, gruff voice that she heard was _not_ Lucas.

Alarmed by the unfamiliar voice, she spun around and faced the door, eyes a little wide in surprise.

It was a man in a business suit standing stiffly in the foyer, facing her with a raised brow. Ice cold viridian eyes were glaring at her impassively.

She froze, staring at him, her heartbeat drumming wildly in her ears. His gaze dropped to her abdomen in disgust. She knew he couldn't actually hurt Jellybean with his stare, but it was so vicious and frigid and treacherous that she swallowed thickly and protectively placed her hands on her belly. She'd never seen this man before in her life, but somehow, she just _knew_ who he was.

The notorious Mr. Friar himself.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Breathe, okay?  
**

**Thank you for taking the time out of your busy days to review! You all are so sweet and I really appreciate it! I hope you are enjoying this story! :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own GMW, but Lucaya is bae.**

* * *

Maya stood ramrod straight, staring wide eyed at the tall man, sweat running down her back. She could hear her heart drumming in her ears, her breathing a little harsher than it was before.

From what Lucas had told her about his father and now seeing him in person, Thomas Friar was a coldhearted, dispassionate man. He and Lila were currently separated until the divorce would be finalized in May. Lila had told Maya he only stayed with her and Lucas in November because he'd been in New York on business, and it was only practical to stay with them. But she'd also told her that he wasn't planning on returning to New York until May to finally finish up the divorce proceedings and receive his settlement.

So what was he doing in New York?

Maya swallowed thickly, steeling her nerves and trying to appear more courageous than she felt. She held her head higher, still protectively covering her abdomen.

"Can I help you?"

"Where is my son?"

"He's not in right now."

"You're not very bright, are you?" He said, a look of disgust on his face.

His insult took Maya off guard, and she frowned in slight confusion. How would he know anything about her intelligence and smarts and what not? They'd never met before today.

"Excuse me?" she snarled.

"You left the door completely unlocked. Anyone could have just walked in."

"An oversight on my part." Her eyes narrowed. "So, can I help you? Because I've got a lot of stuff to do, and I don't have time to chat."

"I wasn't aware that my son and his mother were hoarding a destitute." He replied with his eyes narrowed, "The least you could do, as a guest in the home I paid for, is introduce yourself. Who are you?"

"I don't need to introduce myself to you." She said lowly, her gaze mistrusting. "Lila opened her home to me. And as far as I'm concerned, I owe you no explanation."

His eyes glinted with something malicious, and Maya fought to keep her gaze on his.

"Very well then. In that case, let me cut to the point." Thomas replied evenly, his gaze impassive, "I was suspicious as to why Lucas decided to apply to only schools in New York City when with his grades and resume, he could have easily gotten into more prestigious universities. So I asked him, and he responded that his interests lied in New York."

Thomas snorted. "A ridiculous notion, of course. His interests do not lie in New York. He's always loved Texas. He wanted to go to school in Texas. So I came here to set him straight. Imagine my surprise when I walked into the apartment under _my_ name and found some knocked up little whore in her ninth month."

"Seventh." Maya said through clenched teeth.

He snorted derisively as he stared daggers at her belly, and Maya took a slight step back, alarmed by the vitriol and treachery in the sea foam green eyes. She didn't understand how he and Lucas could have the same beautiful eyes but where Lucas' were kind and warm and compassionate and friendly, his father's were glacial and dangerous and alarming and austere.

"It's become quite clear to me, that stupidly, Lucas has knocked you up, and you now live with them."

Maya felt some comfort from the kick she felt from Jellybean and stood straighter, looking him dead in the eye.

"So what Lucas knocked me up? It has nothing to do with you. Why do you think he didn't tell you? He clearly doesn't want you in his business."

His mouth turned down into a furious frown.

"It has everything to do with me. Lucas' business is my business and has always been my business and will always be my business. And you're ruining my son's chance at a good life. I don't want him to be tied down to some poor street slut whose only value is in being a stepping stone for Lucas to find a better, more respectable woman. He's having his fun with you now, but he won't be with you in the long run. Give it up."

Maya tried to pretend like his harsh words didn't hurt, but each one stung, unobstructed, sharp like a knife.

"You're nothing but a cruel dickhead."

"How juvenile." He drawled, eyeing her in disinterest. "You know what you are? You're just the type of trash that is meant to get left. You're the toy that men will play with until they find the woman they want to marry. End things with Lucas."

Maya scoffed, "What?"

"You heard me. End whatever silly little relationship you think you have with Lucas."

"Or what?" She sneered, glaring at him ferociously. He was nothing but a bully. She wouldn't bend to his twisted will. "You'll try to hurt me or our baby? I'm not afraid of you. I dare you to try. I'll kick your ass."

It was bravado, she knew, but if she showed fear, she knew he would have the upper hand. Where was Lucas when she really needed him? When would he get home already? She was starting to get anxious being stuck in the apartment alone with his father. And Maya was terrified that if she tried to make a run for Lucas' room to grab her phone and call him, his father would give chase.

Thomas let out a short bark of derogatory laughter, shrewdly staring at her as if she'd lost her mind.

"Calm yourself, you uncivilized little derelict. There's no reason for any violence." He crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I have a proposal for you. Since you didn't want to end things calmly, I'm giving you an ultimatum now."

Maya glared at him, her fist clenched by her side. "You can give me whatever fucking ultimatums you want to. I don't have to do anything you say."

He ignored her.

"If you end your relationship and cut ties with Lucas by telling him the child is not his, I will make sure you are paid in checks of two thousand for child care every month. I have a nice, unused condo in Boston that I'll even let you have and live in, and you'll be able to raise _your _child as a single mother. Lucas will forget about you and in the future, will become a successful veterinarian and dutiful father and husband to a _respectable_ woman. Everybody wins."

Maya's eyes widened in shock. "Are you _deranged_? Why the hell would I do that?"

"You care a lot about Lucas, don't you? Let me tell you the other option. And I do believe you will say yes to my offer after this." He said snidely, a dark look hooding his eyes. "If you choose to stay with him, I will use all the power I have and every contact I know to make sure Lucas can't go to any colleges, will never find work, or get a place to stay. He'll never find happiness. I'll force Lila and Lucas to leave this apartment. It's under my name after all, and technically, my possession in the divorce. And I'll make the divorce hell for Lila. We didn't sign a prenup, you know. We agreed to part on amicable terms, but I don't have to follow through with that. I can get the best lawyer money can buy and drive her to bankruptcy. I can take everything she and Lucas has. I can leave them with nothing. And with nothing, how can Lucas even consider going to college? He'll have to drop out. He'll have to work. But like I said, I'm not going to let that happen."

Maya's breath hitched, her lower lip quivering the slightest bit as cold chills of fright ran down her back. A fear gripped her heart, rendering her immobile. She didn't know if it was a bluff, but his eyes were scaring her.

"Y-you can't do that…"

"You really want to make that bet? You have no idea what I'm capable of. My influence extends pretty far. Lucas can't escape me." His eyes were glinting sharply. "And I _will_ make Lucas' life living hell. I'll pull strings to make sure he stays miserable and slowly, he will start to resent _you_. He'll see you as a burden."

Maya inhaled sharply, a little whimper leaving her lips as she felt her eyes stinging with tears.

"He'll _despise_ you. He'll never want to see you again. All he'll think when he sees you and that child is that you both ruined his life. He'll wish he never had to deal with you. And he'll _leave_ you. And then nobody wins."

"What kind of horrible father are you?" Maya's voice cracked, and she clenched her fists, trying to keep herself from shaking. "You don't even care about Lucas' happiness."

"Of course I don't, you vagrant. Happiness doesn't mean anything. Only success means something. And if Lucas wants to be successful, he has to ditch the dead weight. In this case, a fat knocked up bitch who's good for nothing."

She took in a shuddering breath. "Y-you're a monster."

"Thank you." He replied in boredom. "Now make up your mind, tramp. Even if you don't care about yourself, you wouldn't want that kind of life for Lucas, would you? I thought you cared a lot about him? Do you want him to be miserable? Is that what you want? Lucas to be _miserable_? Do you really want to stay with him and ruin his life? Think about what he could become without you. Are you really going to stand in the way of his dreams?"

"S-stop…" Maya whimpered, tears falling from her eyes as her shoulders shook with sobs.

"Here you have the perfect opportunity given to you to help him not be miserable in the future, and you want to be selfish and appease your own happiness. You're a _hypocrite_." He spat cruelly. "You chastise me for not caring about Lucas' happiness, but look at you. You want to choose yourself over him and make sure you and that child of yours is happy. But at the cost of what? Lucas being _miserable_."

"_Stop_…"

"The choice is yours. I'm sure you don't want Lucas hating you do you? I know my son. He may be nice and accommodating to you now, but do you really know the future? Do you really know what he's thinking? No doubt the stressful lifestyle will ruin your relationship. Can you see him in the future? No job, no college education, no dream career. Because of _you_." He hissed, his lip curled in pure loathing, "It'll be all your fault. You know what you will have turned him into? A man who lost everything. A man who can't do anything to support his family. A man who is slowly losing his mind. A man who'll look at you and your child and who will _want to_ _die_. A man who will one day not be able to take it anymore. He'll open the window. He'll stand on the balcony. And he'll—"

"_Stop_!" Maya shouted, her voice wavering from her crying, "I don't want that for Lucas! I'll leave, okay?! I'll break up with him… I'll leave… I'll do whatever you want. Just don't do this to Lucas. _Please_. He doesn't deserve it…"

Maya sank to her knees on the floor, sobbing helplessly, her heart tearing into two. She couldn't believe he was this evil. She couldn't believe he was this despicable piece of vile human trash. How could he use his son's future as blackmail?

"Good girl." Thomas smiled sweetly as he pulled out a checkbook from his jacket pocket. "Look, I feel bad about this. I'm sure you and Lucas had some good times together. I feel absolutely terrible about making you break up with him this way."

"No you don't, you piece of shit." Maya sniffled, her voice small and weak.

"I do. I really do feel bad. Let me help make it better. I'll cut you a blank check right now. Five thousand dollars." He said as he scribbled on a check before ripping it out and slapping it on the table. "If you leave for Boston by the end of this week, I'll send you another check for five thousand so you can buy yourself something nice. It'll help you get settled in. It'll help you get over your breakup. I'm sure you'll want to forget all about this as soon as possible, right? So why not leave this week?"

She said nothing, twin rivulets of tears leaving her eyes as she wept.

"Do the right thing. Break up with Lucas as soon as possible. Or you'll be the reason why Lucas is miserable." He sneered at her, his eyes frosty. "I'll be back in a few hours. If you're not out of my apartment by then, and Lucas isn't single, it's bye bye college for him."

He paused, watching her triumphantly as she sobbed on the carpet.

"And I think it goes without saying that if you tell anyone about our little arrangement, you'll be forfeiting Lucas' future. Have a good evening."

With those words, he spun on his heel and left the apartment, slamming the door behind him so roughly the portraits on the walls shook a bit.

Maya sat there, shivering, her shoulders shaking from her sobs as tears cascaded down her cheeks.

She was terrified.

She was absolutely terrified, and even though she knew it very well could just be an empty threat, her heart was almost violently racing in fright and the only thing Maya could think about was what if Mr. Friar wasn't lying.

Maya didn't want to ruin Lucas' life. She didn't want to be a burden to him. She didn't want to be resented by him.

She loved him so much.

But it would tear her apart if he ever came to hate her.

With a harsh sob, Maya rose to her feet and rushed to his room. She grabbed her suitcase and all the clothes and shoes she'd brought, her hands shaking violently as she tossed in everything that belonged to her. Maya whimpered, roughly wiping her eyes and sobbing uncontrollably, her tears impeding her vision as she packed her bag.

She had to leave. She had to get her stuff, including the things she'd left at Riley's, and she had to leave.

Zipping up the suitcase in a flurry, she tugged it behind her, grabbing the check on her way out of the door.

~.~.~

Maya had just stuffed the last of her leggings in her suitcase when the Matthews' apartment door opened and slammed shut.

"Maya?! Are you here?"

Maya froze, her eyes widening. It was Lucas.

"N-no…" she whimpered, clutching the locket under her sweater and wishing she didn't have to do this so soon.

He suddenly appeared in Riley's doorway, looking sweaty and out of breath, his face slightly red from exertion. When his eyes settled on her, momentary relief overtook him before he got a good look at her and the relief was quickly replaced with a deep concern.

"Maya… I'm glad you're here. I got worried when I couldn't find you." He said with a smile, trying to catch his breath. "Why did you take all your stuff out of my room?"

Maya stared at the carpet, closing her eyes to try to control her shaking shoulders.

"How did you get in here?"

Lucas frowned. "Riley gave me a spare key too in case I needed to get something of yours from here."

She said nothing, still standing in place, her sobs threatening to overtake her.

"Maya, what's wrong?" He said, walking over to her and pulling her into his chest, wrapping his arms tightly around her. "You're scaring me. Is it about the C-section? Because everything will be okay."

She stiffened, tears pooling in her eyes once again as she thought about what she would have to do. Maya sniffled, but didn't hug him back, remaining perfectly still. After a few moments of no response, Lucas pulled away from her, his brows furrowed in worry as he watched her.

"Maya, what's going on?" he asked, a frightened edge to his voice as he wiped away an errant tear from her cheek, "Is everything okay?"

"Lucas…" she said softly, her voice quivering as she stared at the ground, "Let's break up."

"…What?"

He stared at her silently for a moment, his expression flickering from amusement to concern to confusion and finally settling into a frown when she wouldn't say a word.

"Maya?"

She sniffled, trying to control her shaky breathing. "Lucas, I want to break up."

"Stop playing around, Maya. First off, what brought this on?" He let out an incredulous little laugh. "And second? I don't believe you. What is going on? Are you scared because of the surgery?"

Maya frowned, glancing up at him through her tears before quickly averting her gaze.

"I-I just don't like you anymore." She swallowed tightly, her sob choking up her words. "And I want to break up."

Lucas was looking a little frustrated by now. He grasped her chin in his hand, tilting her face up so she was looking at him directly.

"I don't believe you. You expect me to believe that after everything we've been through? After all we've shared? What the fuck is going on, Maya?"

She slapped his hand from her chin, taking a step back from him, and she saw the momentary spark of irritation in his eyes.

"Nothing, okay? I just want to break up. So just break up with me, dammit!"

"No, Maya! What the hell is going on with you?" He ran a hand through his hair in annoyance. "I'm not just going to break up with you randomly. Tell me what's wrong. Why do you want to break up?"

"I told you I don't like you!"

"And I told you I don't believe a word of that bullshit!" Lucas took a step closer to her, reaching out to take her hand. "Maya, what—"

"Don't touch me!" she yelled, jerking her hand away from him.

Anger flashed through his eyes. Anger and something like pain that made Maya avert her gaze quickly in guilt. Why wouldn't he just listen? Why wouldn't he just leave well enough alone?! She didn't want to do this to Lucas. She didn't want to hurt him, but he was being too stubborn.

"Are you serious, right now?" He growled, stepping up to her. "Why are you trying to break up with me?! Did I do something to make you mad?"

"I just don't want to be with you anymore."

"Can you stop fucking lying to me?!" he roared, "You're literally _crying_ while telling me you want to break up. You can't even look me in the eye and say that you want to break up! Tell me what the fuck is going on!"

"I'm not lying!" Maya yelled, "I want to end things with you! I've had it with this relationship. I've had it with you being overbearing and smothering me and always deciding things on your own without consulting me! I'm not your damn charity case. I don't need or want your pity."

"You don't mean that…" Lucas said, the pain in his voice unmistakeable. "Maya, you're not a charity case for me. You never have been. How could you ever think…"

"I don't want to be in this relationship."

"Maya, I'm sorry if I ever made you feel like a charity case. I'll stop. I-I can change. I'll do better for you, but that's no reason to break up." Lucas said earnestly, cradling her face in his hands, carressing her cheeks with his thumbs, "We can make it work. I'm sorry. Just don't do this."

"Lucas, it's over." She sobbed, taking in a shuddering breath as fresh tears blurred her vision.

"Maya…" Lucas said, his voice sounding strained, "Please, don't do this. I love you. And I know you love me too."

"No…" She whimpered, her heart lurching so painfully in her chest at his words that she couldn't catch her breath, "Lucas, stop."

"Maya, why?"

She shook her head, closing her eyes tightly.

"Maya, look at me!"

She refused. It would only break her heart more.

"At least give me a reason why… I don't believe that you would ever think you were a charity case. Maya. Don't close yourself off. Please. Talk to me. What's wrong?"

"I can't give you a reason. And I don't love—"

Her words were stolen from her lips when he leaned down and kissed her desperately, Maya freezing in his grasp. His lips were soft and urgent, and he pulled her closer, pressing his mouth to hers harder, coaxing her to respond. Maya let out a soft moan, her fingers moving of their own accord and clutching the fabric of his t-shirt. She reciprocated with a whimper, pouring into his fervent kiss every ounce of her feelings towards him.

But she had to say goodbye. She refused to let him lose everything he'd worked for.

With a sharp intake of breath, Maya planted her hands on his chest and shoved him away from her, roughly breaking the kiss.

"Lucas, stop!" Maya cried, "I don't love you. You're better off without me."

"I'm not! Can't you see that I need you, Maya!" He gripped her shoulders, his eyes a bit glassy, "Stop rejecting me. I love you. I love you so much I can't stand it. I don't want to lose you."

She took in a shuddering breath. Why wouldn't he listen? She was trying to protect him!

He didn't need her. She was nothing but trouble. He didn't need someone who would ruin his life.

Guys like Lucas Friar didn't end up with girls like Maya Hart.

"L-Lucas…The truth is…" Maya swallowed thickly, taking a deep breath and sniffling, tears spilling from her eyes, "The baby isn't even yours."

She watched as his eyes widened incredulously, his gaze growing alarmed and furious and anguished all at once.

"What?" he whispered under his breath.

"I… I just wanted to be secure. I-I knew you would help me, so I used you." Maya whimpered, each lie that dropped from her lips tightening the grip her pain had on her heart. "She's not your baby. And I lied to you because I wanted someone to support me and take care of me and I knew you would."

"M-Maya, tell me you're joking."

She said nothing. Lucas' breathing harshened the slightest bit as he stared at her, fury burning in his gaze.

"Tell me you're lying to me, Maya!"

"I-I'm not. Jellybean isn't…isn't…"

This was the end. She looked up and met his gaze head on. His beautiful green gaze, watery, red rimmed, grief, anger, and pain swirling in the irises all at once.

_Goodbye Lucas…_

"Jellybean isn't your baby." She sniffled, steeling her expression as she looked up at him. "And I don't love you."

Lucas stared at her in shock, a tear trailing down his cheek as he shook his head in disbelief.

Then he took a couple steps back, letting out a mirthless, breathless laugh and dropping his hands from her shoulders. He chuckled cheerlessly, his fists clenched at his side as he stared down at her. Then he grit his teeth, a gleam of rage in his eyes as he took heaving, angry breaths.

"I can't believe you." he growled, "How could you ever do that to me, Maya?! You toyed with my feelings. I fell in love with you goddammit!"

She felt her heart snap to pieces at his tone. At the way he was looking at her like she was something disgusting that he should never have touched. Like he didn't know her at all. Like she was some dirty whore.

Like he couldn't stand to look at her.

She chewed her bottom lip, a sob escaping her lips, knowing she had really ended things for good.

"I guess it's my fault for ever deluding myself into believing you could actually love me back." He took in a deep shuddering breath, his lip curled in disgust. "You're right. I am better off without you."

And Maya watched him turn and leave, wanting so badly to reach out and stop him. To tell him the truth.

But she couldn't.

"Lucas…" she whispered hopelessly, watching him storm away.

Maya heard the door of the Matthews' apartment open and then heard the sound of laughter. They must have just arrived back from the trip to DC. Then she heard Riley's voice from the living room.

"Lucas?! What's wrong? What are you doing here?"

Maya didn't want to face Riley after he inevitably told them. She didn't want to face the Matthews or anyone else and she didn't want them to look at her like she was the street trash she knew she'd always been. The street trash she would always be.

Body convulsing with shuttering, all-encompassing sobs, Maya opened Riley's bay window. She grabbed her suitcase and crawled out before lugging it down the fire escape as carefully as she could.

And then she ran.

She ran and ran down the sidewalks, ignoring the stares from nightowls.

Ignoring the agony gripping her chest and the misery pervading in her mind.

Ignoring everything.

She let her feet take her all the way to a snazzy high rise apartment complex, up the stairs and down the hall to a place where she'd been once after work.

Maya banged on the door, pounding her fist on it over and over again, even after her hand began to ache and the skin turned raw. There was furious stomping approaching the door and then it was ripped opened.

"Okay who the hell…"

Missy looked utterly confused.

"Maya?"

As Missy stared at her in concern, something in Maya's heart shattered.

She felt tears blur her vision and with a harsh sob, she collapsed in Missy's arms, wailing bitterly and gripping the front of her nightrobe.

"Holy shit. Maya! What the fuck happened?"

"It's over… It's all over…" she wept, clutching Missy, feeling no strength in her body to lift herself up.

"Maya, what? What's wrong? Shit, where's Lucas? Let me call him."

"Don't! I let him go."

"What?"

"I let him go!"

"Why?"

"Because I can't be with him…" Maya started crying harder. "I can't ruin his life! I don't want to!"

"Ruin his life? What the fuck are you ta— What happened?"

"Missy, please don't tell anyone I'm here." Maya blubbered, "Please don't let anyone know. _Please_. They can't."

Missy looked disturbed. "Maya—"

"Promise me you won't tell them! Or I'm leaving!"

"Fine! I promise! What the fuck?"

And Maya gripped her robe, crying harshly in her chest. She had wanted so badly for things to work, but in the end, everything had gone wrong. Just like it always did in her life.

Why?

Why did she have to endure this much pain just when she'd found some happiness?

Why did she have to let herself have hope for even a second?

This was what having hope did to her.

Hope really was for suckers.

She'd learned it the hard way.

And now she was alone.

She was truly alone…


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: This is the last of any updates of any story until Wednesday everyone!  
**

**Thank you for the reviews! I really appreciate it! And I am so so so so so so sorry. :')**

**Disclaimer: I do not own GMW, but Lucaya is bae.**

* * *

"Alright Maya." Missy said, shutting her apartment door and tossing her keys on the kitchen counter. "I talked to some of your teachers. They said that after Jellybean is born if you do all the makeup work and still finish with Cs, you can still graduate. Ms. Kossal just wants to make sure that you'll be able to finish up all your pieces for the art show in May."

Maya's phone started violently buzzing on the little table above her head, but she ignored it, still laying on her back on the couch, staring at the ceiling. With a heavy sigh, Missy walked over and glanced at it, a frown on her face.

"Are you gonna get that anytime soon?"

"Is it Riley…?" Maya muttered, sniffling softly.

"Yes."

"Then no."

Missy scoffed and rolled her eyes, planting her hands on her hips.

"You know you've got like seven hundred unread messages and a thousand calls, right?"

Maya said nothing, gently stroking her abdomen. She couldn't speak to them. Not if she was going to be leaving soon. They would want an explanation, and she would have to lie and it would just hurt them all more if she spoke to anyone now. She didn't need to. She would just disappear from their lives, the deserting Clutterbucket street trash that she was, and they would forget about her. And eventually one day, she would just be a bitter memory; a sore spot and a lost remnant of their youth.

A tear trickled out of the corner of her eye, and Maya tried to swallow down the lump in her throat that was threatening to make her break down in sobs.

"Look, this whole woe is me thing has been going on for like five days now. I've put up with your sulking and not eating and sitting around all day for five whole days and even skipped the rest of school today, but enough is enough, Maya. I don't mind having you here, but you need to tell me what happened." Missy chastised, leaning over Maya with an irritated brow raised. "But first, your ass needs to eat, okay? For whatever reason, you're hurting, but Jellybean needs food. You can't starve yourself and your baby. I don't care what happened and how much pain you're in. I'm not going to let you no longer be healthy. If you don't hydrate and nourish yourself, you'll get dizzy and you could start having contractions early."

Maya rubbed the swell of her belly, mentally apologizing to Jellybean for being incompetent. Her other hand crawled up to her neck and she closed her eyes as she clutched the locket around her neck.

"I'm trying… but I can't."

It was true. Every time she put food in her mouth, she vomited it back up. She felt weak and drained, her mind racing at every point, and she couldn't find it in herself to settle. She felt faint and haggard and hadn't slept properly in days, but every time she did try, all she could see was Lucas' heartbroken face, the warmth in the depth of his eyes still there, even as she'd ripped his heart out. Even as he spat those words at her.

He still had the care in his eyes.

Like he just couldn't help it.

And that made what she did to him hurt all the more.

But she didn't have the right to be sad, because in the end, she'd become a Clutterbucket. She'd left. She had run. And even though it hurt her, at least she'd saved Lucas the trouble of living a difficult life with her in the future.

She felt sick. Not just to her stomach, but everything. Her body ached, she was sore and cranky and her will to get up and even start her day just didn't exist. She couldn't even find the will to paint anything. The catharsis she found in art was completely wiped away because of what had happened.

She should never have agreed to be Lucas' girlfriend.

Hell, she should never had even told him he was the father. She should have just suffered on her own. She should have just let herself be miserable. Now they were both heartbroken and she didn't think she would ever heal from this.

Lucas not knowing she was pregnant would have been a much preferable situation to this, where they couldn't even be together.

Maya curled up on her side, a soft whimper leaving her lips as she thought of him.

It hurt.

Especially since all she wanted to do was see his face. She was so in love with him it was destroying her.

"Okay you know what? I've let you wallow all week and be miserable these past days and waddle around like some depressed duck, but I've had it." Missy growled, walking around to the front of the couch and plopping onto the carpet in front of Maya so they were eye to eye. "Tell me what's bothering you or I'm going to stop buying ice cream."

"I can't… Lucas—"

"Maya shut up about Lucas' life being ruined! You've been saying that as the answer to everything I've asked for _days_! What. Happened."

"I can't tell you…"

"Why not?!"

"Because Lucas' life will be ruined…"

Missy's nostrils flared. "Stop playing these games with me Maya. I could have been skipping class and making out with Billy right now, but I'm here helping you and stowing you away. You _owe_ me. Now tell me what is going on or I'm going to call Lucas right now and tell him that you're here because you think you'll ruin his life."

Maya knew she wasn't bluffing. Her eyes held that shrewd quality to them that she knew meant Missy meant business.

So with a sniffle, Maya told her everything. She told her about Mr. Friar and his threats to ruin Lucas' future. His threats to make the divorce with Lila a living hell. The condo in Boston. The money Maya would receive. The terrible breakup with Lucas. Telling Lucas Jellybean wasn't his.

How she _broke_ Lucas.

Shredded his heart to pieces.

By the end of her explanation, Maya was sobbing, her shoulders shaking and her heart feeling the heartbreak even worse than when it had happened.

"That's what happened?" Missy asked after an extended period of silence where she let Maya cry.

Maya focused her vision on Missy with a nod and became surprised to see that she was giving her an incredulous look.

"That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard." Missy growled, "What the hell, Maya. You can't just throw Lucas away because you're scared of his father! What you did is _selfish_ not selfless. You didn't even think about how it would affect him. And then you destroyed him!"

Maya sniffled, her eyes blurring with tears again. "You don't understand—"

"No, _you_ don't understand." Missy snapped. "You haven't gone to school, so you don't know anything that's been going on with your friends. You should have seen Lucas these past few days. He is absolutely _wrecked_. He can't focus. He skips Gov all time. And then I found out he's been skipping _all_ his classes. He's on temporary leave of absence from the team because he punched a hole in the locker room wall and fucked up his hand. I'm telling you, he _needs_ you."

"No he doesn't… He needs to forget about me."

Missy ignored her. "And Riley? You know? Your best friend in the whole wide world who you once told me makes you a better you? She was crying in history class. She was _crying_. I have never seen that bubbly girl cry a day in my life. She was crying so hard they sent her to the guidance counselor!"

Maya closed her eyes, knowing she was the reason why Riley was in so much pain.

_I'm so sorry, Riley._

"And Farkle? Confident Farkle who has an answer for everything? He's _completely_ lost. Doesn't have a clue what to do. One best friend is completely MIA and the other two are in emotional turmoil. And they have nothing to go by to figure out what happened to you. Do you know how fucking hard it was for me to lie to their faces that I have no idea where you are? Because let me tell you, Riley and tears are horrifying to watch. Every time Riley cries, a cute animal dies, you know?!"

"I… I don't know what to do… I have to leave the city."

"No Maya. You need to go fix this. And you need to fix this _now_. You hurt all your friends with your selfish actions when what you should have done was tell them the truth immediately. At least if they knew, they could have helped you take the next steps and make measures to ensure Lucas and his mother's safety from his father."

"But his father said he would ruin his life. He said he would make life hard for Lucas and Lila. I don't want their lives ruined because of me."

"So what?" Missy shook her head. "You think that's your decision to make? Lucas is a grown up. So is Lila. He can take care of this problem. It wasn't your call to decide to end things just because you were scared for him. You talked about how annoying it was when he just did whatever he thought was best for you in the relationship without letting you know. Well guess what? You just did the same shit to him, only one thousand times worse because you lied to him! Good God! What the fuck was going through your mind, Maya?! You need to take responsibility for the mess you've made of your friends!"

Maya's eyes widened, realizing she _had_ done the exact thing she had asked Lucas not to do.

"You're right…"

"Damn right I am." Missy said, rising to her feet. "So get the hell up off your feet so we can go tell Lucas. He's still at school."

"I-I don't know what to say to him…"

"Look, it might take a while to fix this mess, but you have to start somewhere. And we can start with you going to him and giving him a fucking hug because that boy needs one. Lucas is supposed to be the prince of our school but shit, he is a damn mess and one annoyance away from beating the shit out of someone."

Maya swallowed thickly, sitting up slowly and nodding, wiping away the tears in her eyes. "I need to go to him."

"Yes! Exactly!" Missy helped her stand up. "So let's go to him! Let's go fix this mess, okay!"

Maya nodded, smiling weakly. "Let's go."

"Alright! That's what I'm talking about! Let's go get your man!"

They headed out of the apartment complex, hurrying down the sidewalk and heading towards the entrance to the subway that was near Missy's complex. Maya's heart was racing, beating excitedly.

Missy was right. She had been an idiot about this whole thing. It didn't matter what Mr. Friar wanted. And she shouldn't have listened to him and allowed him to dictate the terms of her life.

She was going to make amends with Lucas. She was going to tell him the truth. And she would finally get him back. She would get her family back.

Maya clutched the locket around her neck, hoping so badly that Lucas would listen to what she had to say.

They stopped near the entrance of the stairwell, and Missy turned to her.

"Hold on a second, okay? There's a hot dog vendor right there. Let me buy you at least something to eat so you don't starve you or Jellybean to death.

She jogged away to the street vendor a little ways nearby, and Maya waited patiently, running through her mind what she could say to Lucas once she saw him. What would he say? How would he look at her? Would he even believe her?

And then Maya felt it.

A sharp, tight sting like a period cramp.

She set her hand on her abdomen, absentmindedly rubbing it gently and hoping it would dissipate.

But it got worse.

Maya groaned, inhaling sharply and bending over when the pain increased. She let out a soft whimper, gripping her abdomen, her face contorting in pain.

What was this? Was she having a Braxton Hicks contraction? If so, she needed to call Dr. Torres right away.

And then she felt a popping sensation between her legs. A soft gush of warm fluid spilled out and down her legs. Maya shakily looked down between her legs in shock, watching as a small flood of clear liquid dripped from beneath the skirt of her dress, wetting the sidewalk.

Her water had broken.

_Shit._

"M-Missy…" Maya whispered, the words not really leaving her mouth.

But whatever other words she may have had were robbed from her when the horrifying cramping pains in her abdomen gripped her again, sharp and long and brutal to the point where Maya had to stoop to try to alleviate some of the pain. A tingling sensation rose to her head, and she grew faint and felt dizzy. Her vision danced, and she leaned down, letting out another whimper of pain when it intensified.

Taking a few wobbly steps forward, Maya reached out to hold the railing of the subway station entryway stairs to have something to help steady her.

And her hand hit air as she leaned forward.

She thought she had set her hand on the railing. She thought she had leaned against the railing. She thought she'd gotten a grip.

But she hadn't.

At all.

It felt like slow motion.

She felt her body tip forward.

She watched the concrete subway steps rise up quickly to meet her.

And then pain.

Pain in her head.

Pain in her arm.

Pain in her abdomen.

Pain in her side.

Pain in her head again.

_Pain_ as each step jolted her around. As she tumbled down. As she was brutally bounced around and tossed down like a rag doll. She could hear someone screaming, but Maya couldn't stop herself.

When she finally rolled to a stop on her side on the dirty floor of the subway platform, there was a high pitched ringing in her ears, and Maya blearily opened her eyes, groaning, her vision completely foggy and spots dancing in her eyes.

Everything was numb.

Everything was numb and she felt dazed and her body just wasn't listening to her to get up. The sound of a departing subway train filled her ears. The wind from the subway ruffled her clothes and hair, but Maya barely registered it.

There was something sticky between her legs. Something pooling underneath her through her clothes.

There was another scream as a pair of feet stopped in front of her.

"You're bleeding!"

Instinct made Maya reach shakily for her screaming head, gently touching a sore spot that was throbbing painfully, making her jolt each time a pang of fire shot through her body. Her fingers drew away from her head, and she found blood. But when she looked up woozily at the woman in front of her, she noticed her eyes were downcast.

And Maya knew she had been referencing the pool of blood under her legs. And Maya knew exactly where it was that she was bleeding from.

She gasped for breath, grimacing and gripping her abdomen as the sharp pain suddenly increased tenfold. She could barely see anything, soft sobs leaving her mouth and her body wracked with shudders as wave after wave of crippling pain suddenly shot through her body.

She couldn't feel Jellybean moving.

_Please hold on Jellybean. I'll help you. Just hang on. I don't want to lose you. Stay with me. Please. _

"Holy shit! Maya!" Missy shouted, her voice quickly approaching. "Don't touch her! She could miscarry if you jolt her around too much!"

She looked up groggily as Missy slid to her knees beside to her, her face shocked and horrified and tears in her eyes. Missy gingerly cradled Maya's head in her lap.

She turned over her shoulder frantically. "Someone call a fucking ambulance! She needs medical attention now!"

"M-Missy…" she croaked, letting out a shuddering breath and chuckling mirthlessly as tears cascaded down her face. "It… It hurts…I feel like… I'm dying…"

"Oh my God…You're not dying, okay?!" Missy gently rubbed her face. "Maya! Stay with me okay?! We're gonna get an ambulance."

Maya rasped for breath when another agonizing wave of pain tightened her abdomen. All she could feel was _pain_ and her contractions were getting to the point where there was no end to them.

It was dizzying and she felt like she was going to pass out and Maya tried to suck in air, cringing when it got worse. A ragged cry forced itself out of her throat when a shock of pain danced through her head and ruthlessly gripped her lower back.

It was too much. She felt like she was about to die.

Was this what she deserved…?

Was this what she got for breaking Lucas' heart?

She felt a soft flutter in her abdomen during a brief reprieve from her contraction, and Maya tried to rub her ailing abdomen to reassure her, but her hand wasn't moving. No matter how much she tried.

Her whole body wasn't moving.

Her whole body wasn't responding.

_I've never prayed before, but God, if you hear me, please save my baby. Please. Please don't let her die._


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Special chapter! I decided to update after all! I don't want to study for my exam on Friday yet or sleep ahahaha xD (It's not fair! Why do I already have an exam on Friday?!)  
**

**(If I told you the update would be Friday, don't worry. I'll still do another update on Friday!)  
**

**I thank you all for the reviews! Thank you for taking time out of your busy days. Again, so sorry! :')**

**Disclaimer: I do not own GMW, but Lucaya is bae.**

* * *

"Lucas Friar! Stay right there!" Riley yelled, stomping through the parking lot where Lucas was standing by the curb, waiting for his father to pick him up. She had Farkle's wrist in a vice grip and was tugging him brutally towards Lucas.

Other students in the back parking lot turned their heads in surprise at Riley's outburst, looking a little shocked at the livid brunette. No doubt, they were all completely confused by the wide array of distinctly non-Riley emotions she'd been showing all week.

Lucas sighed and turned to them, his expression blank and shoulders slumped. He'd been that way all week, unexpressive, fatigued, and lacking some emotion.

"What do you want, Riley." He muttered.

She was undeterred by his dejected tone.

"Farkle told me, okay?! He told me the real reason why you and Maya broke up! Why did you keep that part a secret from me?! You think Jellybean isn't yours?!"

Lucas' eyes narrowed, and he shot Farkle an irritated glare. Farkle rose his hands up in surrender.

"Hey, I'm sorry, man. But Riley cornered me! She didn't believe your explanation was a valid enough reason for Maya to decide to disappear off the face of the Earth!"

"How could you even think for a second that Maya was telling the truth that you're not the father?!" Riley shouted, her eyes watering with tears, "And all this time I've been so worried thinking she didn't love you and it turns out this is all one big stupid mess that isn't even true! I know Maya, Lucas. She honestly would not have lied to you about being Jellybean's father! And she would _never_ use you to get support! Why would she need to when our family was supporting her this whole time?!"

Lucas clenched his fists, the sharp glint in his eyes looking even more harsh from the shadows of bags under his eyes.

"Yeah? And how would you know that? You weren't there when we broke up." He spat. "What reason would she have to say that I'm not the father in the first place other than that being the truth? People don't just throw statements around like that for no reason, you know?"

"I don't know why she said it! But why would you doubt her?! This is _Maya_ we're talking about! Your girlfriend! We've been friends for years! She would never do that to you."

"_I know_!" Lucas shouted angrily. Students in the parking lot jumped in surprise from the dark tone laced in his words. Lucas was usually gentle and charming, but the past few days had seen him as this angry, nearly violent guy. Most people had just been keeping away from him because he seemed to be in a very volatile mood recently. "I know I shouldn't doubt her, but you weren't there! You didn't see her face when she told me! It was so full of guilt and shame like she was honestly telling me the truth. She looked me _in the eye_, Riley. She looked me in the eye and told me that Jellybean wasn't mine and that she used me and that she didn't love me! What else was I supposed to think except that she was telling the truth?! What the hell else am I supposed to think now?"

"I don't know!" Riley threw her hands up in exasperation. "But there is no way that what she said was the truth!"

"How the hell would you know?!"

"Look, Lucas!" Riley snapped, "Maya _always_ tells me when she hooks up with people! She always would tell me! That time you guys slept together after the party and you left, you know what she did? She told me she regretted letting you go. She _cried_ and was sobbing about how she'd ruined something good! She was upset that things had ended so badly with you, and she knew she'd never be able to sleep with anyone else after that! And the last guy before you was _Jeremy_ sometime last February before they broke up! There is no way you're not the father!"

Lucas' eyes were wide in shock by that point.

"But why would she lie… I just can't help but feel like she was telling the truth about me not being the father."

"You know, I've been thinking." Farkle rubbed his chin. "Knowing Maya's personality, when things get tough, she does have a tendency to run or push you away. What if she was trying to put distance between you guys because of something?"

"What could she possibly have been trying to push me away from, though? Everything was going just fine! Maya was happy; I was happy. We were _fine_. And then she went to her appointment and told me about the C-section thing. We talked on the phone and she sounded fine. Then I come home and she's gone. Next thing I know, she's breaking up with me and then she disappears and we can't find her anywhere. Farkle, I don't know what to think..."

"What if Maya was in some sort of trouble…?" Riley said shakily, her voice small and lower lip quivering.

They all fell silent for a bit, pensive and concerned looks on their faces as they pondered what could possibly have so badly provoked Maya's instinct to run to the point that she would break up with Lucas like that and stop contacting anyone.

A car pulled up by the curb, getting their attention and then Mr. Friar stepped out of the driver's side. Lucas sighed and picked up his school bag from the ground, slinging it over his shoulder.

"Lucas, you can't leave yet. We need to figure out this Maya stuff." Riley pleaded.

Lucas' gaze went to the ground apologetically. "I have to go to dinner with my father and some of his work associates."

Thomas walked around the front with a small smirk on his face, approaching the three of them. Farkle bristled, his eyes narrowing slightly. Riley stared at him, feeling uncomfortable after the things Lucas had told them about how strict his father was.

"Are these your little friends, Lucas?" he asked, his tone of voice snide and almost derogatory, "Introduce me."

"Yes sir." Lucas said, still looking at the ground, "This is Farkle Minkus and Riley Matthews. Guys, this is my dad."

Riley's phone began to ring, and she hastily pulled it out of her pocket. As she stared at the screen, her eyes widened, tears pooling on her lower eyelid.

"I don't believe it…"

"Riley?" Farkle asked, looking at her in alarm, "Who is it?"

"I-It's Maya." Riley picked up the call, her hand trembling as she brought the phone up to her ear. "Maya, where are you?!"

_"Riley this is Missy!"_

"Missy?" Riley asked in confusion, "Why do you have Maya's phone? Where's Maya?"

_"Look I'm calling about Maya. She's in early onset labour!"_

"What? Maya's in labour?" Lucas and Farkle's gazes snapped to Riley in alarm. "At thirty weeks? Where is she?"

_"We're in an ambulance on the way to the hospital. Riley, Maya's in serious trouble! You need to go to the hospital right now!"_

"Wh-what? You're scaring me! What happened to Maya?!"

_"She fell down the subway stairs! I've been hiding her in my apartment for the past few days on her request, but we were going back to school so she could talk to you guys and I don't know how she fell down but she did and, and, and now they're taking me to the hospital with her! It's bad Riley. Really bad! She hit her head on the way down and she's not responding properly to words and her breathing is really rough and they think she might have punctured a lung with a broken rib and they don't know how bad her head injury is but she might have fractured her skull and on top of that something must have been rattled in her uterus or something and now she won't stop bleeding from her head or from down there and they checked Jellybean's heartbeat with a Doppler and her heartbeat is so low and Maya might have a miscarriage and oh God, I'm so terrified right now! They don't even know if she's going to make it, Riley! If _either_ of them is going to make it! I-I don't know what to do! Just go to the hospital right now! And please bring Lucas!"_

"N-no… No!" Riley cried, tears dropping from her eyes, as she brought her shaking hand to her mouth, "We're on our way right now, Missy! Call Maya's mom! And call my parents and let them know!"

_"Okay! Hurry up as fast as you can and get to the hospital!"_

"What?!" Farkle asked in concern, "Riley what's going on?!"

Riley fumbled to end the call, her hands shaking so badly that it almost seemed like she was about to drop it. "Maya fell down some stairs, and she's really badly injured! She's in labour but she and Jellybean might not make it! We need to get to the hospital right now!"

"Well let's go!" Farkle said. "We don't have any time to waste!"

"Where do you think you're going, Lucas?" Thomas remarked coldly, staring Lucas down with thinly veiled disdain. "We have an engagement, and there's no time for going to any hospital. Tell your friends good luck and get in the car. On top of that, you should be studying, not wasting your time on this."

Farkle and Riley's eyes widened in shock.

"Sir, I'm going to have to decline." Lucas' eyes narrowed. "One of my friends is seriously hurt. She needs our support."

"I'm sorry." Thomas said with a sneer, his sea foam green eyes glinting treacherously, "I don't think you understand what I'm telling you. I said no. And you are in no position to be disobeying me. You skipped this dinner last time without proper explanation, and we're not having that this time. Don't start this rebellious mess again. Or I'll have to discipline you properly."

Lucas clammed up, quieting and averting his gaze from his father's.

"Lucas _please_!" Riley begged, her choked sobs breaking her words, "You have to come with us! Maya needs you! I know she loves you so much! If you don't come it'll tear her apart!"

But Lucas remained silent, dropping his gaze in disesteem, looking reproached and ashamed.

"Lucas, c'mon! Think about Maya! She needs you!" Farkle yelled, though Lucas didn't say anything.

"That blonde is trash." Thomas said, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Not worth anything in the long run, Lucas."

Lucas frowned, though his gaze was still on the asphalt.

"She's not trash, sir. Maya is..."

And then Lucas tapered off, stiffening, his eyes widening as he lifted his head and stared his father down.

"How the hell did you know Maya is blonde?" he growled.

With a soft, surprised gasp, Riley turned to Mr. Friar in surprise. Farkle's mouth dropped in slight shock, as his gaze shifted between the two Friars.

"Did you speak to Maya, dad?" Lucas asked, his breathing harsher than it had been before. "The day you got back was the day Maya broke up with me. Did you do something to make her want to run?"

"I may have run into the filthy whore squatting in my apartment." Thomas rose a brow. "What difference does it make?"

"What did you say to her?" The unhealthy gleam in Lucas' eyes belied how deadly calm his tone was. "Did you threaten her?"

He laughed derisively, the sound sharp and grating and leaving a chill down their backs.

"Please. All I did was tell her the truth."

"You did this..." Lucas said lowly through grit teeth. "You did something and messed with Maya's head."

"Regardless, it's better that she's gone. Trash like her doesn't need to be in this world with her bastard child, tying down people who have futures."

With an enraged snarl, Lucas' hands shot out, and he grabbed his father's collar, his eyes glinting dangerously, his neck burning in rage.

"What the fuck did you say to her?!" he shouted.

"Stand down Lucas." Thomas said calmly, his ruthless gaze menacing, "What exactly are you going to do to your own father, huh? Get your hands off of me."

"Your father is right." Riley murmured, her lower lip trembling, "Lucas. Let go of him."

"Riley?" Farkle said in confusion, his fists clenched and azure eyes shining in fury. "Are you serious right now?"

"Stay out of it, Riley!" Lucas barked, still glaring at his father, "This is between me and him."

"_Let him go, Lucas_!" she ordered.

Shocked at her tone of voice, Lucas slowly uncurled his hands from his father and took a step back, though his expression hadn't rectified itself, and he was still taking heaving breaths.

"That's better." Thomas spat, fixing his collar. "Ridiculous. Getting so worked up over a disgusting—"

There was resounding _slap_! that echoed through the parking lot.

Riley's hand was still raised, her usually cheerful and kind cocoa brown eyes flashing with fire. She was absolutely _seething_, and Farkle couldn't help but stare at the usually docile Riley with surprise on his face. Lucas was absolutely slack-jawed, floored by her sudden rage. Mr. Friar slowly turned his gaze back to Riley, lip curled in disgust.

"You dare hit me in a public sphere, little girl?" he growled, his voice dangerously low, "I'll have you arrested for assault."

"I don't care!" she screamed, "How dare you, y-you fucking asshole!"

And everyone in the parking lot all stared at Riley in shock, because Riley Matthews _never_ cursed, much less _hit_ people.

"_You're_ the one who did this to Maya?! You made her want to run?! Did you make her think she wasn't worth anything?! How _dare_ you say anything to her! Maya is one million times a better person than you!" Riley hollered, jabbing him in the chest with each of her words, "You have no right to say such _bullshit_ to her when you can't even be a good father to your own son! You're a horrible, disgusting excuse for a human being! What makes you think you have a right to say anything to Maya who has been caring for her child on her own for so long?! Do you even know how much she's been through because of this pregnancy?! And yet, she still put so much love to take care of her baby, and you just discredited her like she was garbage."

Riley stepped back, by now sniffling heavily and sobbing and wiping her eyes roughly with her sleeve.

"It's you! _You_ are the piece of human trash!" Riley spat, whimpering from her sobs, "You've forfeited your right to _ever_ be called a grandfather. I hope Jellybean never has to see you a day in her life! Don't you dare ever show your face in front of Maya or Jellybean again!"

Thomas snorted in disgust, unruffled by her yelling. "These are the people you choose to spend your time with, Lucas? I thought you had better sense than that. What a disappointment."

"You've been an abusive asshole to my mom. You've been an abusive asshole to me. And even though I shouldn't have, I tolerated it because we're family." Lucas growled, livid, nothing but cold rage in his eyes as he turned his back on his father. "But now you crossed the line. You hurt my girlfriend, who doesn't deserve any of your shit. That's it. I'm done with you, Thomas. Stay the fuck out of my life. Stay out of my mom's. Stay out of Maya's. And stay out of my child's or so help me I'm going to break every fucking bone in your body."

Thomas' gaze hardened, furious at Lucas' insurrection and complete lack of respect.

"Why the hell are you so worked up over a useless bitch?!"

Lucas paused.

And then he turned around, rearing his fist back and brutally punching his father square in the nose. There were resounding gasps as Mr. Friar stumbled back with a holler, his expression dazed and shocked and hand covering up his bleeding nose.

"Why? Because I love her. Because I love her _and_ our daughter. Because I made a mistake. Because I doubted her when I shouldn't have. Because I was an idiot and didn't see the obvious right in front of me. Because I was so quick to judge without thinking about why she would try to leave when things were going so well. Because I want to make amends, especially if she might not make it…" Lucas' face settled into a melancholic smile, though his fists were still shaking. "Because someday, I want that 'useless bitch' to be my wife."

Lucas spun on his heel and stormed away, gesturing to Riley and Farkle that they should go. All three walked away, hurrying on their way to the hospital.

"_Lucas_! Lucas, you better goddamn well turn around and come back here right now!" Thomas roared, his voice sounding nasally, "I'll disown you! I'll disown you as my son!"

But Lucas kept right on walking with Farkle and Riley, no hesitation or falter in his steps at all.

"Maya, please be okay…" Riley whimpered, vocalizing what they all were thinking in their minds.

They broke into a hurried run, praying that they wouldn't get there too late.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Back to our scheduled programming. Will Maya make it? Will Jellybean make it? Will everybody get there in time? What's going to happen? _Draaaaaaaamaaaaa. Melodraaaaaamaaaaaa. Angst. _**

**This is my first time writing melodrama so I hope that it's decent!  
**

**I appreciate all the time you guys are taking out of your days to comment on my work! Thank you so much for all the sweet things you say! Thank you for sharing your funny anecdotes and tales and letting me know about you guys' lives in your own little way. It means a lot to me and I'm thankful for each and every one of you guys who have opened up to me! Getting to know you guys is literally a highlight of my day! I wuv you! (And sorry about the late late update. I went to bed last night and completely forgot! I'm sorry!) :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own GMW, but Lucaya is bae.**

* * *

It hurt.

Everything hurt.

Maya groaned weakly, staring blearily through her foggy vision at the paramedics beside her, wheeling her somewhere hurriedly. There were so many faces staring down at her. The lights were too bright in the hallway she was going through. What the hell was going on?

"Maya, you'll be okay, alright?" Missy said tearfully, squeezing her hand to comfort her, "Please stay with us!"

She was seriously having trouble staying awake, and her vision kept momentarily going black. But she refused to let herself sleep. She couldn't. She wouldn't. Not until Jellybean was safe. Maya refused to let her die just because she was a little tired and couldn't get hold of her bearings.

As she was brought to a stop somewhere, Maya felt another shocking pain gripping her abdomen, tightening it and squeezing it so sharply another cry was forcibly ripped from her throat, rendering it raw. Maya gasped for breath, squeezing her eyes shut and clamping down on Missy's hand.

Hands were moving everywhere, prodding her, moving her, moving things, tearing her clothes. She could hear it all around her and feel it all around her though her vision was starting to grow blurry to the point where she was seeing multiples.

"We need to stop the hemorrhaging!"

Tears spilled out of Maya's eyes. Jellybean was in pain. Maya just knew her baby was in so much pain. She could feel it.

This was all Maya's fault. Everything was her fault.

She was pathetic.

A sorry excuse for a mother. A sorry excuse for a friend. A sorry excuse for a daughter. A sorry excuse for a girlfriend.

It was no wonder she was left all the time.

She didn't deserve any good things in life.

"Help Jellybean…" Maya cried as another wave of agonizing pain wracked her entire body.

"Who is Jellybean?"

"Her baby you idiots!" Missy shouted, "Pay attention to the context! Maya, your friends are here. I'm going to go get them okay?"

Missy slipped her hand out of Maya's, and Maya clawed at the air, her hand shaking in fright.

"M-Missy…"

"I'll be back! Don't go anywhere okay! Don't you dare let yourself go anywhere!"

Missy ran out of the room, her hair flying behind her, and Maya nodded as she took a few weak breaths. A lot of feet stomped through the room, approaching her, and Maya tried to focus her vision as Dr. Torres and a team of identically dressed doctors in blue rushed over.

"What happened?" someone asked.

"Placental abruption, no doubt." Dr. Torres said grimly, leaning over Maya and looking at her reassuringly. It was hard to tell though with the mask covering her face. "Maya? I'm checking for dilation okay?"

Maya barely registered the words and when Dr. Torres crouched and checked, Maya screamed. Because it hurt. It hurt so much and Maya could feel her entire body contorting in pain as she prodded her.

"Her water already broke." Dr. Torres stood up. "Six centimeters. This baby is coming no matter what. We need to get a move on."

Maya's head lolled to the side, her body shuddering as she stared blankly past the blue bodies moving around next to her. She was scared. She was terrified and her body wasn't responding properly, and she had no idea what she was supposed to do. She didn't know how to get through this.

Lucas had been right.

She needed her mom.

"Mom…" Maya whimpered, rasping when the pain sent a wave of dizziness over her. "I need you…"

And then Maya watched in the distance as her mother appeared, smiling warmly and rushing over to her bedside. The noise and bustling around her slowed and grew lethargic, pitches deepening and words sounding jumbled.

"M-mom…?" Maya whispered.

"It's okay baby girl…" Katy said soothingly, kissing her forehead and taking her hand. "I'm here for you. Just squeeze my hand and the baby will be out, okay?"

_Okay._

Maya giggled and grasped her mother's hand, closing her eyes and waiting.

And then she heard the strangled cries of a newborn baby.

_Jellybean. Are you safe? Did you make it?_

Maya reached up, giggling happily. "Is she out?"

"Maya, what are you talking about?"

"My mom helped me birth the baby…" Maya giggled, her vision sliding in and out of focus as one of the other blue people helped Dr. Torres pull on a pair of gloves. "Where's my mom? My mom was right next to me… Mom…? Mom, come meet my baby. I want you in her life."

"She's delusional. I think she's hallucinating."

"She hit her head! We need to run a scan to see the extent of the damage. I suspect a haematoma."

"No. Prepare an emergency Caesarean section immediately and general anesthesia. She needs to get this baby out right now. And we need a blood transfusion stat! She's lost too much blood!"

_Jellybean's not out?_

"That's unwise! She's barely conscious as it is. Taking her under right now could lead to some unforeseen consequences and complications. Possibly death."

"If we don't get this baby out of her and _now_, there is a good chance that both Maya _and_ the baby will die!"

_If I die, it'll be fine. But if Jellybean dies, I'll never forgive myself._

"What is she saying?"

"I can't understand what you're saying, Maya. Speak to me, what's going on?"

Maya's stomach was suddenly tugged with a severe muscle spasm, and she felt bile rise in her throat and spill out of her mouth before she could stop it. She leaned over the side of the bed, watching as the stringy vomit dropped to the floor. She rasped for breath, her vision blackening for a second as her head fell back weakly against the pillow.

She wanted to sleep…

She just wanted to go to sleep. She was so fatigued. She didn't want the pain anymore.

She had to make sure Jellybean was okay, but her body was fighting her. It was forcing her to close her eyes and go to sleep, and Maya was starting to think that would be for the best.

But she had to stay awake for Jellybean.

She _had_ to.

"She's fighting to stay conscious."

"J-Jel… Jelly…" Maya mumbled, her tongue feeling thick and heavy in her mouth. "Jelly… Jelly… Jelly…"

Why couldn't she speak?

Where did her mother go?

"Maya listen to me. We are going to get Jellybean out, okay? You'll be alright."

Something was put in both her arms but Maya didn't flinch. She could barely feel it.

"Dr. Torres! We need to stop the bleeding or she won't make it!"

"Just stop talking, prepare the procedure, and give her that blood transfusion! We'll make it happen! But we need to get Jellybean out first."

Maya barely reacted when another terrible contraction hit her body. She was starting to feel numb.

_Jellybean. I know it hurts. You'll be okay. You'll survive. I'll make sure you do… Even if I die._

There was a weak flutter in her abdomen, and Maya whimpered, tears falling from her eyes in happiness that Jellybean responded.

Katy was suddenly standing beside her again, her eyes pooled with tears as she watched her. They were in in a sunny meadow, surrounded by flowers all around them.

"I'll be okay, Mommy…" _Just wait for me…_

Her tongue felt even slower and thicker and she felt like the words she tried to say didn't come out right.

"Maya, your mother isn't here right now, but we'll help you get through this okay?"

_What are you talking about? My mother's right there. She's standing on the dandelion._

But she knew the words didn't come out of her mouth.

"You can't come in here!"

There was a commotion near the door, and Maya slowly turned her eyes towards it where the blue people were blocking someone from coming in.

_"NO! LET ME IN! THAT'S MY BEST FRIEND!"_

"R…Ril…?" Maya breathed out, her lips tugging up in a weak smile as a mask was slipped on her face.

Riley was screaming, crying, her hair flying everywhere in reckless abandon as she tried to force her way past the men by clawing at them. Farkle was behind her, struggling to hold her back as she grappled with a blue person, trying to get through.

_Riley, calm down… Jellybean will be okay…_

"Young lady! Stop it! You cannot be in here!"

_"I DON'T CARE! LET ME IN!"_

Riley looked like she was blending into the background, and Maya would have laughed if she could. Her body wasn't moving again though. But at least there wasn't any pain.

_Mom look. My friends still like me. Even though I'm pathetic and terrible._

"_MAYA! MAYA DON'T DIE!_" Riley screamed, wailing as she reached out towards Maya as she was yanked back, "_PLEASE DON'T DIE! I NEED YOU MAYA! DON'T LEAVE ME!"_

"Increase the dosage. She's not responding to the anesthesia. I think she's subconsciously fighting to stay awake."

"What if it's too much?"

"Stop questioning your orders and do as I say! This is a matter of life or death and every second counts. Now increase the dosage!"

Maya wanted to wave to her friends, but no matter how much she tried to move her hand, it wouldn't budge. Her vision blurred and grew unfocused.

Her friends still came. Even though she'd done nothing but put them through pain and trouble. She didn't deserve any happiness. She didn't deserve them or their friendship. Riley. Farkle. Missy.

Her eyes met a blurry, concerned sea-foam green, and Maya felt a tear trickle out of her eye.

_Lucas… you came… thank you… _

The last thing she saw was Lucas' horrified and anguished expression before her vision went completely black.

_I'm so sorry guys… I'm sorry… I'm sorry…_


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: _Draaaaaaaamaaaaa. Melodraaaaaamaaaaaa. Angst. _**

**This chapter is strange. I'm skirting off the deep end for this chapter, but from what I researched, this isn't uncommon. You'll see what I mean.  
**

**Thank you for the kind reviews guys! I appreciate it very much! I hope this chapter is also to your liking loves :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own GMW, but Lucaya is bae.**

* * *

_I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I'm…_

Maya sat up abruptly with a gasp, breathing hard, blinking wide eyed. She was disoriented, her mind still spinning and her body feeling stiff and sore. Rubbing her eyes to focus her blurry vision, she looked around.

And her brows lifted high on her forehead.

She was sitting in a field of yellow and white dandelions in full bloom, plump and cute and smiling at her in a way, no end to them in sight. The sun was high in the sky, its cascading rays of sunlight gently bearing down on her. And the sky was gorgeous and blue, with fluffy, cotton candy wisps of clouds dancing through it.

Blinking in confusion, Maya rested her hand on her abdomen, only to grow even more confused when it was flat. Alarmed, she dragged up her shirt, looking down at it, but there was no bump. No protrusion. No nothing.

Where was her bump?

Where was the pain? She was pretty sure she had been in pain, but she couldn't remember from what.

Had she actually been in pain?

What was she looking for?

Why was she here?

What the hell was going on?

The questions all attacked Maya at once, piling one after the other and driving her more and more to deeper disconcertion with each one that she found she couldn't figure out the answer to. She hated it.

She didn't seem to have any of her belongings with her and no cellphone to make any calls. Great. So she was trapped in an unfamiliar and kind of crazy world with no method of communication and no way to contact anyone she knew. What was her life?

Maya stood up shakily, stretching out her arms and intending to explore. Though based off of what was around her, she didn't think she would find much of anything.

There was a sharp breeze that pushed her around a bit since she was unsteady on her feet, and Maya turned away, trying to shield her face from it.

When she opened her eyes, she saw a figure on the horizon, aimlessly standing in front of what looked like the edge of a cliff.

"Hello?" Maya called out to the figure.

Maya thought it was a person, but she couldn't really tell. They were unbelievably blurry, despite the area surrounding them being clear. Maya took a few cautious steps in that direction. The figure cleared up a bit and Maya could see that it was a blonde woman. She was thin and frail and had a slight dejected slouch to her shoulders that Maya instantly recognized.

"Mom?"

The woman turned around silently and though Maya couldn't see her face clearly, her build looked just like Katy's. She reached out towards Maya, holding out her hand and Maya smiled, feeling relief in her chest that she wasn't alone here. She didn't know what the hell was going on, but at least there was somebody here who she knew.

Maya started walking in that direction.

"I wouldn't go that way if I were you~"

Maya spun around in surprise at the new voice behind her. There was a little blonde haired girl with pigtails in a puffy blue baby doll dress sitting where Maya had been just a few minutes ago. Her face was also blurry. Maya knew she'd never seen the girl in her life.

But she knew her. Somehow, though she couldn't figure out or pinpoint where or if they'd ever met, Maya _knew _her.

"Who are you?"

"I don't really know." The girl said, blowing a dandelion puff and giggling as it blew away in the wind. "I was hoping you could tell me. I think you brought me here."

"How?"

Maya didn't even know how she got there herself.

The girl giggled again and laid on the ground, rolling around a bit in the flowers.

"I don't know. You figure it out. You're older."

Maya approached the girl cautiously before sitting down next to her and trying to see if she could make out her face. But the face remained slightly blurry, though Maya knew the little girl was staring back at her.

"I don't know who you are…" Maya said softly, "I'm sorry."

The girl sighed, picking up another dandelion and then putting it behind Maya's ear, tucking back some of her tangled hair.

"Do you know who you are?"

"I'm… Maya…" Maya hesitated.

"Not your name. _Who_ you are."

"I-I'm…"

And Maya frowned.

Because for some reason, she couldn't figure out the answer to that. Well, she could, but only one thing was coming to mind.

"I'm pathetic." Maya said staring at her slightly shaking hands, "I'm someone who deserves to be left… That's who I am."

There was a tug in her chest and Maya grimaced as a feeling of pain ran through her heart for a moment. She felt like crying. She didn't even know why.

The little girl stared at her for a moment before leaning forward and putting her hand above Maya's heart.

"Well I know you. And you're not pathetic. You're not someone who deserves to be left."

"Yes I am…" Maya felt tears sting the back of her eyes as she suddenly remembered her horrifying breakup. "…I hurt everyone I care about. They're better off without me."

"Do you honestly think Lucas is better off without you?"

Maya frowned, staring at the girl in confusion. "How do you know who Lucas is…?"

"Your heart is telling me this." She flexed her fingers where they were resting above Maya's chest. "You two have been through a lot. You've been through too much to just give up like this."

"But I hurt him. And he didn't deserve that. I don't know if he'll ever take me back."

"And if he did take you back, would you go back to him?"

Maya stared at her hands. "I don't know. I've already made his life harder than it needed to be. If he sticks with me then he'll only have more hardships."

The girl removed her hand, sitting back with a pout on her lips.

"But he loves you. And you love him."

"Enough to let him go."

"But is it worth it? Being miserable?"

"I don't know."

The girl contemplated her silently for a moment, her head tilted a bit sideways as she regarded Maya curiously. Maya stared at her, trying to figure out why she felt so at ease with her. Why it was so easy to talk to her.

"What's he like?" The girl finally asked after a while of silence.

"To a lot of people, he's Prince Charming." Maya smiled fondly. "But not to me. To me, he's just Lucas. Always a huckleberry."

"Hmmm…" The girl smiled excitedly. "I want to see him!"

"I do too…" Maya admitted, wringing the hem of her shirt.

She wanted to speak to him. She wanted to see his smile at least once more. She wanted to apologize to him for all the pain she'd caused him.

"Well then let's go!" The girl hopped to her feet, a flurry of dandelion petals scattering in the breeze from her motions. "Let's get out of here!"

"How?"

"Follow me! I know the way to go!"

Maya stood up in confusion, taking her little hand. The little girl led her towards a warm bright white light that Maya hadn't noticed beforehand. She felt a pull towards it. Like she needed to step inside it. When had that shown up?

Maya frowned, taking a slight step back. "Are you sure we're going the right way?"

She was pretty sure those death clichés in books and movies always involved some type of light. You apparently weren't supposed to walk towards it. And what about the other lady, the one that looked like Maya's mother?

Maya glanced over her shoulder. The thin, frail woman was still standing there, her hand outstretched to Maya.

"I can't go with you." Maya said, her brows furrowed.

The woman's hand fell slack against her side, and she just stared at Maya, head tilted a bit to the side. Maya didn't know what to make of it.

"Why is she all the way over there?"

The little blonde girl shrugged impatiently. "I don't know, but we're not supposed to go that way."

Maya frowned in confusion. She cupped her hand around her mouth, hoping her voice could project far enough.

"Mom! Come with us!"

The frail woman shook her head and then earnestly reached out her hand to Maya again. Maya felt strange. She wanted to go over to her mom. But there was something strange about the way she was beckoning Maya over.

"Do you trust me?"

The girl tugged on her arm and looked up at her, the smile on her face easily visible now.

"I do, but…"

Maya looked at her mother near the cliffside, conflicted.

"Then let's get out of here."

_"Maya…"_

The little girl smiled and continued to pull Maya along towards the light. With a sigh, Maya followed her, letting herself get engulfed by the warmth and wrapped in the embrace of the light. The girl slipped her hand out of Maya's who suddenly grew anxious when she did.

She smiled wistfully. "Goodbye Maya."

_"Maya…"_

"Can you tell me who you are?" Maya asked the girl as she started to disappear.

_"Maya…"_

Beautiful sea foam coloured eyes sparkled in amusement.

_"Maya…"_

"Don't you recognize me?"

_"Maya…"_

She giggled as she faded away, her voice barely above a whisper.

_"I'm…"_


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: For those of you saying you wish you could see Maya being coached through the birth, that unfortunately won't happen in this story because she had an emergency C-section, buuuuuut I do have more than one "pregnancy" story out… just saying ;3**

**Sorry this chapter took so long... It was... _difficult_...  
**

**Aaand! Happy (Belated?) Birthday Guest! :) Thanks for letting me know! I hope you're having (had?) an excellent birthday turning up! xDD**

**I really appreciate the reviews everyone! I thank you for always being so supportive even with all of this horrifying drama. That being said: I'm sorry :/**

**Disclaimer: I do not own GMW, but Lucaya is bae.**

* * *

Maya felt cold.

She felt sticky and cold, but it was like she was floating on air.

And then she was falling hard and fast, as if she was being sucked down, and her heart started beating wildly in her chest.

Letting out a short pant of breath in alarm, her eyes shot open, and she frantically gulped in air, jolting and trying to shake out the blurriness in her gaze.

It was a _terrifying_ feeling.

Maya blinked, slowly coming to realize she was in a hospital room from the steady beeping of the monitor beside her bed. To her confusion, there were different cords and tubes connected to her arms.

Maya felt stiff and awkward and weak, her body not really moving the way she wanted it to. She slowly slid her gaze towards the slightly opened window, where the curtains were lightly blowing from the gentle breeze. It was dark outside, as if night had just fallen. There were flowers by the table in her room. Several flowers and cards and a whole set of stuffed animals. She stared blankly at the stuff, her mind unable to register anything or process what was going on. She blinked slowly, trying to figure out why she felt like jello.

There was a tingling sensation in her stomach, and Maya looked down.

And was alarmed to notice her abdomen was flat.

Though honestly, she couldn't figure out why that was so alarming.

Her brows furrowed with difficulty as she tried to come to terms with what was going on. Everything was scrambled and disoriented. Hadn't it been the afternoon when she had gotten to the hospital?

No. Something happened after.

What was it?

Her memory was a little foggy, but strangely, she could feel the weird fog and pressure in her head clearing. She brought her fingers to her throbbing head, surprised to feel bandages and gauze wrapped around it.

"Maya… Maya… Don't die…"

Maya's gaze turned towards the voice in bewilderment.

Riley was sleeping in a chair beside her bed, her head in her folded arms beside Maya's hand as she muttered in her sleep. There was drool coming out of her mouth and a track of dried tears running down her cheek.

"Maya…Wake up… Maya…Don't leave me… Maya…"

Maya tested her mouth, slowly trying to open it and work her jaw out of its tightness. It took a little bit, but she was finally able to open and shut it without the muscle fighting its movement.

Why was she so stiff?

"Ri…" Maya rubbed her throat when her voice cracked, completely hoarse. She was parched, her throat constricted and feeling scratchy. Maya tried again, clearing her throat roughly, though it was still dry. "Riley…"

It did the trick.

Riley's eyes fluttered open, and she slowly lifted her head, wiping her mouth as she gazed at Maya with wide, cocoa brown, doe eyes. She blinked a few times, staring at Maya as if she couldn't quite believe what she was seeing.

"Hey…" Maya said, smiling as best as she could, though her face felt weak and it hurt to stretch the muscles.

Riley exhaled shakily, sitting up completely, her eyes going even wider as they brimmed with tears.

"M-Maya…" Riley's face contorted, soft sobs escaping her lips as a trembling hand went to her mouth. "Maya!"

She pounced on Maya, wrapping her arms around her neck and sobbing into her shoulder. Maya chuckled softly, struggling slightly to lift her stiff right arm, but she settled it on Riley's back comfortingly, rubbing it as gently as she could though she felt awkward in her movements.

"Maya! Maya!" Riley blubbered, her entire body shaking from her sobs, "Maya! Maya! Maya! Maya!"

"Don't wear it out…" Maya drawled in amusement.

"You're alive. You're awake. You're okay." Riley wailed, her tears wetting Maya's hospital gown. "I kept dreaming that you… Nevermind… You're okay."

Maya sighed, just patting Riley softly as she continued to cry.

A nurse walked into the room with a clipboard, letting out a soft gasp when she saw that Maya was awake. She pulled out a pager, bringing it to her lips as she approached Maya's bedside.

"Dr. Stevens, Maya Hart has woken up. She is responsive. Come to room 324 please." She put the pager back in her pocket, smiling at Maya. "How are you feeling, love?"

"I feel fine…" Maya muttered, brows furrowed in confusion. "A little stiff."

Why was everybody making such a big deal over her waking up?

"Riley… Why are you freaking out so bad? All I had was…" Maya paused, her brows lifting as she remembered. "I had a C-section."

But the question was why…

The nurse was looking at the heart monitor and observing something on the IV, writing it down on the clipboard.

Riley pulled away, sitting back in her chair and grasping Maya's hand in both of hers.

"Maya, you're in the ICU." Riley explained. "You were asleep for nine days. We thought you were gone when you didn't wake up after the C-section. The neurologist couldn't tell us if you would wake up again."

"Nine days?" Maya said in disbelief.

That explained why she felt so stiff and awkward.

"Earlier today you woke up and fell back asleep again a bunch of times, but you were completely unresponsive and staring blankly like you didn't know who any of us were. The neurologist said to give you time to properly wake up."

"Neurologist…?" A feeling like a loss of pressure cleared some fog in her mind, and Maya realized she remembered something like that too. "I remember… I was in a coma… Some doctor told you guys I was in a coma."

"You could hear us?" Riley asked in confusion.

"Yeah. It was strange… I heard you, Riley. I think I heard Lila too. And I heard your dad… I couldn't respond though. I tried to, but I couldn't do anything."

"Well did you feel anything? Do you remember waking up? What did you dream about?"

"No… I don't remember waking up…" Maya frowned, feeling exhausted, her head hurting slightly. "I… I can't remember any dreams. I think I was being attacked at some point… I know I was dreaming, but I can't remember…"

Riley chuckled, brushing some hair out of Maya's face and cradling her cheek as more tears tumbled down Riley's cheeks. "You punched the nurse during your coma when they were trying to move you to a different bed, Maya. They had to strap you down because you were freaking out and grabbing her hair and then ripped out your tubes."

"Yes, thank you for that." The nurse said dryly, raising an amused brow at Maya as she walked over with a cup of water. She helped Maya sit up slightly, cradling her neck gently as she brought the cup to Maya's lips. "Here. Drink up a little bit."

Maya took a few grateful sips, though she had some difficulties swallowing. When she had finished, the nurse laid her back down gently and tossed out the used paper cup. She leaned over Maya, gently checking on Maya's bandages on her head.

"Well I definitely don't remember punching you… But sorry about that." Maya said with a slight snort.

"Oh it's no problem, love."

"Where's my baby?" Maya asked offhandedly.

And with a start, Maya's eyes widened as she suddenly remembered _why_ she'd had the C-Section. Why she had been startled by her flat stomach.

_Jellybean!_

Jellybean's heartbeat had been so weak. So dangerously low. Maya remembered _blood_. On her fingers. Missy was freaking out. And Jellybean. She had been in pain.

"Jellybean…" Maya's eyes filled with tears, and she turned her head to the side, gripping Riley's hands in fright. "Is she okay? Did she… did she…?"

Riley smiled, wiping the tears from Maya's cheek.

"She's in the NICU. She hasn't cried yet or opened her eyes." Riley said, rubbing soothing circles on Maya's cheeks. "But she's _alive_. And even though her lungs are pretty weak, her heartbeat is strong and steady. And she's hanging in there, Maya. She survived. She made it. Your baby survived her birth."

Maya broke down in shuddering sobs, the relief in her chest so strong that for a moment, she couldn't even move. Jellybean made it. Even though Maya had accidentally starved her, forced her out before she was ready, and even deprived her of oxygen, she'd survived. Her baby was alive. Maya was still granted the chance to be a mother. She was given another chance.

_Jellybean. I'm so glad you're safe._

And then Maya remembered that she was no longer carrying Jellybean. But she wanted to see her. She wanted to talk to her.

"Can you take me to her?" Maya asked, her gaze turning to the door where a short woman with wavy brown locks in a white lab coat had just walked in. "I want to see my baby."

"Maya Hart? I'm Dr. Esperanza Stevens. I have been monitoring your recovery. It's good to see you fully conscious and responding to people." She smiled as she walked over to Maya's bedside. "As for your question, we can let you see her after your physical and after we make sure you're okay. You're not really in any state to be moving. Especially after your small hairline fracture and the small bit of internal bleeding you suffered. We still need to run some more scans and tests to make sure there are no severe residual effects to that knock on your head. Thankfully, the damage we did already find wasn't extensive or life threatening. But your baby is fine. She'll be fine if you wait another few hours as well, okay sweetheart?"

"Okay…" Maya nodded as Dr. Stevens approached her bedside.

"Good. I'm just going to run a quick few physical tests to see if your condition has changed completely." She removed a pen like object from a pocket of her lab coat. "Look at the light for me, sweetie?"

Maya stared at the doctor as she held a light to her eyes, shining it carefully in them. She looked familiar.

"Have we met before?" Maya asked in confusion.

"No, but you have met my younger sister, Melanie Torres. She monitored your pregnancy." Dr. Stevens smiled in amusement as the nurse slowly helped Maya sit up straight in bed. Maya felt stiff and awkward doing so, her limbs not properly listening to her. Dr. Stevens loosely held Maya, placing the cold metal of the stethoscope against her back. "Take a deep breath for me."

"Okay." Maya replied, taking a deep breath as instructed. She let it go and continued the process, every time the doctor moved it around.

"Maya, I'm so glad you're okay." Riley said, sniffling. "I was so scared. We all were so scared."

"I'm sorry…" Maya murmured, "Where is everyone else though? I could hear you all talking to me at various points."

"Yeah. We've all been keeping watch over you each day, all day." Riley said, helping the nurse rearrange Maya's pillows so she could sit up, but lean against her pillows. "But we've all been instructed not to crowd you with so many faces so you wouldn't get easily exhausted and overwhelmed or disoriented when you finally woke up for good. They're downstairs in the cafeteria eating dinner. But I refused to leave your side."

"You forfeited your perfect attendance record for me? Why would you do that?"

"Maya, what kind of stupid question is that? Of course I did. No questions asked. No one has left the hospital since your accident." Riley chastised. "And we won't until we know for sure you're okay."

Maya smiled, her heart warming from the thought. They still cared about her. Even though she'd done nothing but cause them problems and give them pain.

"Is…"

_Is Lucas here? Did he show up?_

But she stopped herself from asking the question.

"Yes, Maya?"

She wouldn't expect him to be. Not after what she'd done to him. He probably still wanted nothing to do with her.

"Nothing… I'm just happy to see your face, Riles." Maya said, squeezing Riley's hand for comfort.

"Maya, what's the last thing you remember?" Dr. Stevens asked after she had finished drawing the blood sample and sent it with the nurse to be analyzed in the lab.

Maya frowned, wracking her scrambled mind for anything. Things were foggy from when she got to the hospital. She remembered Missy leaving at some point. And then…

"My mom…? She helped me give birth…? It was weird. But after that, everything is fuzzy." Maya's brows furrowed as she cleared her throat again, her voice coming out a bit gravelly. "Is my mom with everyone else? Can you bring her here, Riley? I need to talk to her. I need to make amends."

Riley didn't respond for several long seconds, and Maya turned away from Dr. Stevens, facing Riley and wondering why she hadn't answered. Riley was staring at their conjoined hands, her eyes downcast and a stiffness to her shoulders that set Maya's pulse racing. Alarms rang in her head.

"Where's my mom, Riley?"

"Maya… there's something you need to know."

Riley lifted her gaze, and Maya saw the fear in them. Fear and remorse and Maya's heart was gripped in fright.

"There was an accident. Your mom wouldn't pick up her phone when Missy called her. She was working multiple, consecutive shifts. When she finally found out about your condition a few days ago, she tried to get to the hospital to come to you. She was hit by a speeding driver after she ran into incoming traffic."

Maya's heart almost stopped, her eyes widening.

"Her coworkers were saying she wasn't getting much sleep for the past few months. That she was getting thinner. Losing a lot of weight. She just didn't have any energy."

"Riley…" Maya's lip trembled. "I-is my mother alive?"

"She's alive, but the doctors…" Riley looked away, her eyes welling with tears. "She keeps slipping in and out. They're doing everything they can, but they don't know."

"Let me see her…" Maya whispered in a small voice.

Dr. Stevens' brows furrowed. "I'm sorry, Maya. We can't let you leave your—"

"Let me see her." She repeated, glaring at Dr. Stevens.

"Maya. I'm afraid I cannot do—"

"Let. Me. See. Her." Maya said through grit teeth, grunting in slight pain as she shakily tried to force herself out of bed. "Or I'm going to get out of this bed, crawl over to you and kick your ass. Either way, I'm getting out of this bed, so let me see my goddamn mother!"

"Maya!" Riley said, alarmed that she was trying to get up. "Maya, stop—"

"LET ME SEE MY FUCKING MOM! _PLEASE_!

Her scream echoed around the room and down the hall for a second and an abrupt silence followed, loud and arresting as Maya trembled. Dr. Stevens stared at Maya for a few moments, shocked by her outburst, but she finally relented with a sigh, closing her eyes momentarily and rubbing her temple.

"Fine. It's ill advised, but clearly you are going to try regardless of the cautions we're giving you." She gave Maya a stern look. "But stay put okay? I'm going to get you a wheelchair, but I don't want you moving until then."

Dr. Stevens rushed out of the room, and Maya chewed on her lip, trying to keep her quivering at bay. She was terrified. And her mind was in partial shock, unable to comprehend how this could have happened. It was surreal. And not in a good way.

A strange scent filled her nose, though Maya couldn't figure out what it was, but it disappeared as quickly as it came. As it passed, Dr. Stevens entered the room with a few other nurses, pushing a wheelchair. Riley let go of her hand, and they carefully flanked her, lifting her slowly from the bed, supporting her as they gently placed her in the chair. Once they made sure she was properly situated and her IVs were still properly attached, they left her room, nurses tugging along her IVs.

As she was wheeled down the corridor of the ICU, Maya couldn't deny the deep trepidation that was permeating her mind, her breathing a little abnormal as she thought about what she would see. Riley slipped her hand into hers, giving her a consoling squeeze for support.

They took her down the hall to another wing on the same floor. When they pushed her inside the room, there were a couple nurses standing in there, watching over the person lying in the bed. They glanced at Maya's entourage curiously.

And when Maya was brought to the side of her mother's bed, she inhaled sharply, her eyes going wide in shock.

Katy was laying on the bed, severe burns down her arm and one entire side of her face and her head was wrapped in bandages. She had tubes connected to her nose, supplying her oxygen. One arm was in a sling, her leg completely bandaged, elevated, and held together by a brace.

She was so incredibly pale. So thin and frail. So small.

Maya was appalled.

This was not the woman she grew up watching. Maya could barely recognize her mother, this shell of a once strong and unaffected woman despite all the difficulties in her life. Katy looked defeated and weakened substantially and her body looked absolutely _wrecked_.

Maya's heart seized in her chest.

"Mom…" Maya whimpered, her vision blurring with tears as she took in a shuddering breath. "No… Why did this happen to you?"

The nurse's brows rose in understanding, and she gently rubbed Katy's shoulder. "Ms. Hart? Your daughter is here to see you."

Slowly, Katy's eyes flickered open weakly, and she glanced at Maya through a dazed eye. She stared at her for a second, taking a few long breaths through her mouth before tears came to her eye. Her hand twitched weakly, as if longing to reach out and Maya curled her hand into her mother's, her lip quivering uncontrollably.

"My… My baby girl…" Katy croaked, her voice hoarse, "You're safe. Thank goodness you're safe. Thank goodness…"

"Mom." Maya cried, clasping Katy's hand and squeezing lightly, "Mom… Why did you…"

"M-Maya…" Katy swallowed thickly, slightly turning her head so she could see Maya more clearly. "Maya, I'm so sorry…"

"No, I'm sorry!" Maya wailed, "I'm so sorry about everything!"

"No… You have nothing to be sorry for… Maya. I deserted you…" Katy slowly shook her head, taking in weak breaths. "I deserted you and… and then I almost lost you… None of this would have happened if it weren't for me…"

"Mom, it's okay. It doesn't matter anymore."

"Yes… yes it does…" Katy whimpered, her eye welling with tears again as she weakly squeezed Maya's hand in return. "I was a terrible mother to you… I've always been… a terrible mother… to you…"

"No you weren't! You did the best you could! I'm the one who let you down!"

"Maya… This is my just desserts… I didn't take care of you like I should have…" Katy inhaled shakily, closing her eyes momentarily as her face contorted in pain. "I didn't treat you like I should have… It's only right that I'm… in this hospital bed…"

"Mom stop… You don't deserve this."

Katy cleared her throat, tightly closing her eyes again and concentrating, squeezing Maya's hand though Maya could feel how badly her mother's hand was shaking, violently protesting the effort. She took a deep breath.

"Maya, listen to me. I had a choice to make at your age too. My parents kept pushing for me to give you up, kept wanting me to finish school, but the thought of giving away the little girl made with love killed me inside. And so I kept you… And even though life has always been hard for me, the moment I held my little bundle of joy in my arms, I was lost in happiness." Katy took a deep breath, opening her eye and looking directly at Maya, tears trailing down her face. "I've never regretted having you in my teens. Not for a second. I'm sorry for how I treated you, baby girl. I love you. And I want you to have a great life, but not if it means sacrificing your happiness. I can never make up for abandoning you when you needed me most… But I promise to help you raise your daughter if you let me. No matter what it takes… No matter how long it takes you to forgive me."

Maya sobbed, her shoulders shaking so badly that Riley stroked her hunched back gently.

"Mia." Maya whispered through a sob.

"…Mia?" Katy looked confused.

"Your granddaughter's name is Mia Rebecca Hart." Maya smiled, though her heart felt like it was being shattered in her chest. "And yes, Mom. I forgive you. I already forgave you a long time ago."

Katy began to cry harder, weeping bitterly, her wails breaking Maya's heart even more. Maya watched her mother, feeling so much agony it was hard for her to stay upright. Why were their lives so difficult? Why did this have to happen to them? Why did they have to have had that stupid fight? Their lives had already been hard enough as it was and now this… Maya had just been reunited with her mother, and it had to be in these circumstances.

"Listen Maya…" Katy coughed weakly, taking in a shaky breath once her crying had subsided a bit. "I heard the doctors talking… It doesn't look good. If I don't make it…"

"Don't say that." Maya said sharply. "You'll make it."

"Listen, baby girl. If I don't make it, I want you to know that even though there _were_ days when I wondered how life would have been if I gave you up, I never regretted raising you. Never at all. Even if I was distant. Even if I wasn't the greatest mother…"

"Mom, stop!"

"I love you, baby girl… I always have. And I always will…" She said, her voice growing weak and words a little slurred as tears tumbled down her cheek. "I love you so much Maya. I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry…"

"I love you too… You're the reason I'm even where I am today, Mom. You've done so much for me…"

Katy rasped for breath, a tiny, feeble smile gracing her lips. "I wish I could've done better for you though… Grow up strong, Maya. Grow up strong and be a better mother to Mia than I ever was to you."

"Mom! Stop talking like that. You'll make it!"

"I'm sorry…" She barely whispered, her voice so shaky and small.

The smile fell from her lips, her eyes sliding closed as her hand loosened from Maya's and slipped out. Maya's eyes widened immeasurably as the heart monitor sped up, beeping more and more frequently until it flatlined, the long, piercing beep ringing in Maya's ears and causing a cold chill of fright to race through her veins.

"No…" Maya shook her head as doctors and several nurses rushed around her to Katy's bedside.

"Code Blue, Dr. Reynolds!" A nurse said frantically.

"Start chest compressions immediately!"

"Get Maya out of here!"

And Maya felt them tugging her away, pulling her hand away from her mother's.

"N-no!" Maya cried out as she was pulled away and trying to grab onto the side of the bed. "Mom! _No_!"

She watched, horrified, as they frantically tried to resuscitate Katy, each second that passed where there was no change making the nightmare worse. Maya's shaking hand reached out toward her mother. She tried to stand up, run to her mother's bedside, _anything_.

"_MOM_!" Maya screamed.

"Maya! Stop, you're still recovering!"

Someone grabbed her shoulders and forced her down as she was wheeled out of the room.

_"NO! MOM! MOM I NEED YOU! MIA NEEDS YOU! DON'T DO THIS TO ME! DON'T LEAVE ME MOM! DON'T ABANDON ME!"_

Maya was wheeled away, wailing, fighting against the hold of the nurses as they brought her back to her room. They lifted her up and set her back into her bed, but Maya shot up, trying to climb out again.

"Maya! Stop!" Dr. Stevens tried to hold her down.

"No! I need my mom! Bring me back to her!"

"Maya, it's okay!" Riley said beside her, trying to take her hand.

But Maya's breathing was coming out in short pants, her eyes widening as she started to feel herself spiral, her vision swarming. She ripped her hand out of Riley's, struggling against the hold of the doctors and trying to kick at them.

"Let me go! My mom needs me!"

"Maya! Calm down!"

"No! I need my mom! I need my mom!" Maya screamed out loud, fighting against their constraints, "I need my—!"

And she choked on her words.

Maya suddenly felt this breathless feeling like a door was opened and she was being _sucked_ into the ground by a vacuum. Maya's entire body and muscles felt like they were tightening sharply, and she winced, stiffening and going still.

What the fuck was happening?

"Maya?"

Her head hurt; she felt like she was about to explode. Everything was dizzy. Maya took in a raspy breath, struggling to catch her breath, staring blankly past the doctors as this odd dread filled her body.

"It's a panic attack! She's hyperventilating!" Riley shouted, trying to grasp Maya's shoulders. "She only has those when something is really bad! Maya? Maya, can you hear me?!"

Maya felt cold again, the tingling in her stomach even worse.

And then she felt hot fire run through her body, and she was suddenly tired. So very tired.

This wasn't a panic attack.

Maya tried to grasp Riley, tell her that something was really wrong, but nothing came out of her mouth, and her hand was stiff and wouldn't move.

And then an involuntary, short, high pitched scream was forcibly ripped from her throat as the muscles in her throat suddenly constricted. She couldn't even lift or move her body. She felt heavy. Her mouth hung open, and she could feel saliva dripping from her mouth, but she couldn't close it. She couldn't do anything.

Riley was talking, shouting at her. Dr. Stevens was saying something. Maya could see their lips moving, but it sounded like gibberish. She couldn't understand what was being said or what was going on in front of her.

She couldn't process anything.

Maya fell back limply onto the pillows, her eyes rolling up in her head of their own accord. She felt like she was being jerked, her eyes painfully pushing to the right, pushing and pushing harder against the socket even though they couldn't move anymore. She could just barely see the blurred room out of the corner of her eye. Something was coming out of her mouth. She was convulsing.

_Everything_ was convulsing.

And then the world went black.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: Everything's all good :) I don't know if I mentioned it before, but if I take certain long breaks from stories and I don't mention any exams or anything that's keeping me occupied, it's not because I've abandoned them. It's because I'm being lazy or spending time with people. Let me just be honest with you all. I'm sorry, but ahahah I need lazy days too :3  
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**Alright, short chapter for reasons ;3**

**But thank you for all your inquiries! Alright. Onward. Progress. Let's go. On y va. :) **

**I'm gushing! Thank you for the sweet reviews you guys! You're so lovely, it means the world to me! You all say such wonderful things it truly warms my heart! I'm glad you guys are enjoying the story and I am so so happy that it means something to you as it does to me! I really truly appreciate all of you. Thank you so so much for everything! I honestly can't think of anything to say but thank you for everything! :'D  
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**Disclaimer: I do not own GMW, but Lucaya is bae.**

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Maya's eyes fluttered open slowly to the steady beeping of the heart monitor, and she let out a long breath, feeling drained. She was completely sore and felt stiff. Not to mention the light headache she was still experiencing.

"Maya? You awake?" Topanga asked beside her.

She sniffled, clearing her throat and looking around her room at the concerned faces of Riley and her parents.

Maya nodded, smiling slightly as they waited for Dr. Stevens to return with the diagnosis. Topanga sat down on the edge of the bed, leaning down and kissing Maya's forehead, smoothing back the hair on her face comfortingly. Cory was pacing back and forth, chewing on his fingernails, clearly anxious about everything that was occurring.

After Maya had finally woken up, they had been informed that she had suffered from a tonic clonic seizure that was most likely as a result of the traumatic head injury she suffered. Riley had cried and told her parents to come immediately, and though Riley had wanted everyone to be there to support Maya, the doctor had sanctioned against it on account of the fact that Maya was still recovering and overwhelming her with too many people wasn't a good idea.

But Dr. Stevens had immediately taken her to run various scans on her brain and give her a full physical as was custom after a first seizure. It took the better part of several hours, but once they'd finally been finished with the tests, Maya had been exhausted, and she'd been brought her back to the hospital room to sleep. It was truly terrifying for her, not knowing what was going on with her.

And not knowing what was going on with her mother.

No one knew anything about Katy, and Maya had _begged_ them not to go find out or tell her. She was afraid. Scared. And the last thing she needed was her heart broken by someone telling her what she already had a feeling she knew deep down. That her mother…

Maya closed her eyes and took a deep breath when her heart started racing in fear. She wouldn't think about it. No. Not right now.

"Maya, I want you to know we're all here for you." Topanga said, gently stroking her cheek and wiping away some errant tears, "Whatever you need or whatever is on your mind, we'll be here."

"Thanks." Maya whispered with a sniffle, her voice a little small.

"And _Cory_, sit down please. You're not helping with all the nervous pacing." Topanga chastised.

He sat in one of the chairs beside Maya's bed, but jiggled his leg up and down, clearly still anxious about everything.

"Where is Farkle's humour when you need it at a time like this…" Maya joked quietly, glancing at Riley.

_Where's Lucas when I really need some reassurance?_

"He's in the waiting room of this floor playing with some of the kids."

Maya nodded, trying to relax her racing mind.

"What about…" But Maya tapered off, a little scared of what Riley's answer could be.

What if Lucas didn't even show up? What if he wasn't at the hospital? She hadn't heard his voice at all the whole time she had been in a coma. And of the people Riley had mentioned, he wasn't mentioned at all. And if that turned out to be true, she was certain she would be wrecked.

"What's wrong, Maya?" Riley asked softly.

"Nothing. I just don't like being in this hospital bed connected to these stupid things."

"Look on the bright side." Riley said fake cheerfully, climbing up on Maya's bed and curling up next to her, their hands clasped tightly together, "At least you get those cool complimentary Jello cups?"

"Thanks." Maya drawled with a roll of her eyes, though a small smile did come to her face.

They heard footsteps walking down the hall and shortly after, Dr. Stevens walked inside of Maya's room. Though the expression on her face was neutral, all four still stiffened, and Riley clenched Maya's hand tighter. She could feel Riley shaking in fright, and even Topanga, strong, fierce amazoness Topanga who usually had things under control, had this trepidation in her eyes that told Maya that things could really go either way. Even the adults weren't aware of how grave the situation could be.

"Mr. and Mrs. Matthews. Riley. Maya. We have received the results of Maya's tests." Dr. Stevens said, a comforting smile on her face, "Do you want the good news or bad news first?"

The fact that there was bad news made Maya's throat tighten dangerously.

"Good news." Maya said with a shaky breath.

"Well there are two. You're not in danger of dying, so you can rest assured that you're fine and well and will continue to live." Dr. Stevens smiled when they all visibly relaxed, Topanga's hand going to her chest, "And the other one. The doctors managed to stabilize your mother's condition, though in order to protect her, they put her into a medically induced coma. Your mother is alive, and when she wakes up, we will let you know."

Maya's lower lip quivered, the sheer relief escaping her body so fast and strong that a tremble wracked her entire body.

"Mom is okay?" she whimpered, a soft laugh escaping her lips.

"Yes."

Cory sighed in relief, slumping against the back of his chair and sharing a smile with Topanga.

"So… what's the bad news…?" Riley asked cautiously, fear crawling into her gaze.

"Now. We will have to schedule an appointment with a neurologist so you can see the logistics and what not, but Maya. Our scans and tests were able to reveal an abnormality in a region of your brain, which we determined was the location of the neuronal and electrical disturbance from your seizure."

Maya stiffened, swallowing thickly.

"That region was where you took damage from your fall. It's the same region in which you suffered a little bit of internal bleeding under your skull due to the fracture. There was another region where we located another abnormality. I believe you suffered from another seizure. It was most likely a partial seizure whose symptoms we did not detect. Maya, we have reason to believe that you have developed epilepsy as a result of the trauma to your head."

Her eyes widened in confusion and shock.

"E-epilepsy?"

"What does that mean?" Topanga asked, a frown on her face.

"All it means is that she will most likely be suffering from seizures of various types from time to time unless it is dealt with swiftly and accordingly."

"Is it incurable?" Cory asked worriedly. "What's going to happen to Maya?"

Maya could feel her body shaking in fright, but Riley clasped her hand even tighter, giving her a small encouraging smile.

"Maya will most likely suffer from more seizures in the future, so what we want to do is get her into a full appointment with a neurologist to confirm her condition and to figure out the best course to help her condition. And ultimately, we will be putting her on most likely high doses of medications to see if we can control the seizures. But everyone responds to medication differently, so we will monitor her progress throughout the next year or two and see what medication will work the best with her. Mind you that without treatment Maya, your risks of suffering multiple seizures and possibly multiple severe seizures in the future are quite high."

"So I have to take medication?" Maya asked, taking in a shaky breath, "Wh-what happens if it doesn't work?"

"Like I said, we _were_ able to determine the location of the disturbances in your brain. If the medications do not work, considering you have two different locations of seizure activity in your brain, we can consider surgery to remove the parts of your brain causing the seizures. They are not in any locations that will disturb any of your general functions, cognitive, behavioural, motor, etc. In other words, the surgery could potentially cure the epilepsy without any adverse effects on you or your body."

"No." Maya said immediately, her breathing harshening, the image of blood running through her mind as she recalled the image she could see before her C-section. All that blood that had been coming out of her. She felt her hands shaking, her breaths coming out in short pants. "No more. No surgery. Please."

"Maya, it's okay." Riley crooned softly into her ear, gently rubbing her cheek, "You're okay, Maya. It's only if the medication doesn't work. Just take a deep breath."

Maya sucked in a huge gulp of air, trying to breathe normally, though she could feel her mind spinning a bit.

"Maya, don't worry." Dr. Stevens said gently, "Surgery is a _last_ resort. We will make sure to exhaust every option first and figure out all the other medication before we even consider surgery. You'll be fine. But I want to put you in for an appointment with our neurologist for tomorrow once again, alright?"

Maya nodded slowly at first, looking to Cory and Topanga for reassurance. They smiled encouragingly, and Maya relaxed a bit, nodding more resolutely.

"Maya, everything will be alright." Dr. Stevens said with a soft smile, "It is our purpose to make sure you have a full recovery and are taken care of properly. We'll do everything in our power that we can to make sure you are comfortable and that you will get through this. It might be a long process and might take a lot of experimentation, but it will be okay."

"Thank you, Dr. Stevens."

"Anytime." She replied, turning to the rest of them, "Mr. and Mrs. Matthews, may I please speak to you in my office down the hall?"

Topanga glanced at Maya briefly. "Anything regarding Maya's condition should be stated in front of her, don't you think?"

"Definitely true. But this is not about Maya's condition. It's just about paperwork and the like." Dr. Stevens said a bit nonchalantly.

But Maya could tell from the slight poignant look in Dr. Stevens' eyes that it was _anything_ but nonchalant. And Maya had a feeling she knew what it was. Both her and her mother _and _her baby were in the hospital, and with all this treatment, no doubt the cost was going to come out to some extreme number that they wouldn't be able to afford even if they sold their limbs. And with the medication, how was she supposed to pay for it? How much would Katy's health insurance from the diner cover? Not to mention, Maya already had expenses to handle as a new mother and now she would have to figure this out too, because there was no way she was going to let the Matthews shoulder the burden of the hospital expenses.

"It's nothing drastic." Dr. Stevens stated once again, "It'll be quick, I promise. Then I will leave you to spend time with Maya."

Topanga nodded and rose from the edge of the bed, placing a soft kiss on Maya's forehead before following Cory out of the room with Dr. Stevens.

Maya leaned back against the pillows, her heart still racing. This was such an absolute mess. If someone had told her an accidental pregnancy at seventeen would end up with her hospitalized for severe injuries, she would never have believed it. It felt like the longest year of her life.

"Riley… what am I going to do?"

"I don't know…" Riley said, "But I'm terrified Maya. I'm terrified for you to have another seizure."

"Riley…"

"I never want to see that again! It was the scariest thing for me to ever see Maya!" Riley whimpered, her voice breaking and her body shaking, "All of a sudden, you just… you just passed out and you… and you… It was _horrifying_!"

Maya's face contorted, and she dissolved into soft sobs, turning onto her side and wrapping her other arm around Riley, squeezing her tightly. Riley reached up and caressed her cheek, her eyes glassy and tears trickling down her face.

"I'm scared too, Riley. I don't know what's going to happen, and I'm just so scared. For my mom. For me. For Jellybean…"

"Maya…"

"Everything is such a mess, and I don't know what to do… What do I do, Riley?"

"I don't know… I just don't know…"

They both lay there, clutching each other as they wept, their tears wetting the pillow beneath their heads.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: I think I coughed up a lung today ahahahaha ******(❁´▽`❁)*✲ﾟ*** My medication makes me a bit drowsy, so please, please tell me if some of this stops making sense after a while lol. I didn't revise or proofread yet and I know the structure of the chapter is particularly choppy and very banal and doesn't flow well, but you know... I got kind of lazy and I just wanted to get through this. There are too many characters LOL. But I think for not really trying to put flow in this chapter, it came out okay maybe? If you hate it, just let me know and I can definitely take some time to rewrite it ahahah :3  
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**I appreciate all the kind words and the patience you guys have had with me! Sorry about the long absences! Things are really starting to get hectic in my life and I've been trying to keep my life together! Nevertheless, you guys have continued to support me and that means more to me than you can even imagine. Thank you so much for being such amazing people. It means the world to me, and I really love you all. :)  
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**Disclaimer: I do not own GMW, but Lucaya is bae.**

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Maya wasn't accustomed to having much hope for things, so when she officially received the results of her brain scans and physicals and tests from the neurologist, and it turned out that she indeed came back positive for epilepsy, she wasn't surprised. Her life was already a big mess.

What was one more issue to add to her already growing list?

The worst part hadn't even been finding out that she was most likely going to have to be on medication for the rest of her life to contain the seizures. The worst part was that she would have no real cure unless she opted for a surgery in the future to remove parts of her brain, which she absolutely refused to. Just the thought of her head being cut open made her breath shorten dangerously and her body break out in a cold, nervous sweat.

It was seriously nervewracking, knowing she now had a condition that could hit her at any time and manifest in a possible dangerous way, but she supposed she should be thankful that despite the blows to her head from her fall, the blunt trauma hadn't caused much worse issues. Unlike her mother, who the doctors suspected due to her collision with the car and then with the concrete on the sidewalk, might have much more severe repercussions. If she would wake up, that is.

From then, even more neverending tests were run and blood drawn. She'd had a final examination with both Dr. Stevens for her general care, and Dr. Torres for her convalescence after the C-Section in order to determine her progress and what kind of medication would be best for her at the moment. It was pretty interesting to have both sibling doctors work on her physical at once; she could definitely see the similarities between them. And the little bickering they had in the hallway regarding their mother's anniversary gift was amusing and a great respite from how anxious Maya was about the whole thing.

In the end, she had been prescribed a mild dosage of a medication to test out in order to see how she would respond to it. It was something of a trial run at the moment to see how well (or badly) she responded to the medication. To her dismay, she also was required to remain in the hospital during that time to monitor her in case she had another seizure. It sucked that she was stuck in the hospital for an unknown amount of time, but Riley had promised her they would bring her painting supplies at some point so that she could have something to enjoy in her drab room.

Once Maya was done with those physicals, she'd had to have a slight rehabilitation session due to her slow reflexes because the muscles of her legs and arms had atrophied a bit due to disuse during her coma as well as all the time she had been spending in the hospital bed. It had been strange trying to walk on her two feet at first and use her arms. Her body was a little weak, and she felt like she had noodle limbs that just weren't as in control as she would have liked. But Maya refused to spend her time being wheeled in a damn wheelchair, so she had really worked to get back some semblance of her former mobility and had made unbelievable progress in record time. She still felt a bit awkward walking sometimes, and there were occasions where she had to think a little harder or exert more effort for motions like crossing her arms and legs, but for the most part, her motor functions were coming back naturally much, much faster than her rehabilitation coordinator, Dr. Linetta, had predicted. She expected Maya to make a full recovery in a couple day's time.

They had ultimately decided she could use crutches to aid in her efforts as her legs regained their full strength once again, but Maya was not allowed to leave her room without a nurse or supervision yet until she was cleared. They'd finally taken out her urinary catheter though, so she could pee on her own again, and Maya no longer needed the multiple IVs connected to her. It was nice to finally start feeling a little liberated. She finally felt like a human again instead of some near potato at the mercy of the doctors.

And best of all were that once all the tests were taken care of and she was considered stabilized, Dr. Stevens had permitted people other than family to finally see her, provided that it was never more than two at a time.

It was fairly early in the morning, so Maya didn't expect anyone to show up until later, but when she'd left her bathroom and came back into her room, Lila was there, dressed to the nines in her pressed blouse and heels and full makeup. She had a case that morning, but she wanted to at least see Maya before she went off to work. She'd brought Maya some books she figured Maya might like if she wanted to challenge herself intellectually as well as a sketch pad and some pencils for her to pass the time.

"Thanks for bringing me this stuff. I was starting to wonder what I could have for entertainment."

"No problem." Lila said, "So have you seen Jellybean yet? We all wanted to, but we figured the first people who should visit her are her parents."

Maya stared out the window. "No… uh… I wanted to wait a bit."

_For Lucas._

Truth was, she _desperately_ wanted to see Jellybean. But Maya was scared. She was just so scared and she didn't want to go by herself. She didn't want to go through being a mother alone. And she didn't really know how to talk to Jellybean, what to say to her, or how to be her mother right now. Maya was a mess. She could barely take care of herself, much less a baby at the moment. Where was Lucas when she needed reassurance?

"…But I guess I'll go today." Maya said uncertainly, unsure if she had just lied or not.

"Good. NICU babies need their parents' support, so you do that as soon as possible." Lila said, eyeing Maya suspiciously, "Also, you're properly eating, right? Foods that will help the healing process?"

"Yes Lila." Maya rolled her eyes good naturedly, sitting back against the pillows and stilling when her motions had made a slight twinge of uncomfortable tight pressure run through her abdomen near where her stitches were. "Where would I even be able to get any junk food in this hospital?"

"I know Riley brought you some candy." Lila deadpanned. "You were hiding it under your pillow."

Maya's brows rose. She thought she had hidden them impeccably well.

"How did—"

"I was hospitalized once upon a time too. I know how it works. Plus I checked while you were in the bathroom. They've been confiscated." Lila's expression turned serious. "Maya, you don't know how glad I am that you and Jellybean are okay. I wish you'd told me about the C-section the day you found out though. I would have stayed at home with you, and I could have prevented the contact Thomas had with you."

"You know about that?" Maya nervously licked her lips. She had wanted to keep that a secret from everyone else because she didn't want to put them in jeopardy or have them targeted by him.

"Riley told me that my ex-husband was involved somehow in the reason why you broke up with Lucas and disappeared." Lila's hazel gaze darkened dangerously. "I put two and two together and figured he had blackmailed you because that's what he does. When Thomas and I separated seven years ago, and Lucas and I moved to New York, he blackmailed me too. Told me that if I did not live in the apartment he paid for and if I sought a divorce, he would take it to court for him to have full custody of Lucas to prevent me from seeing my own son. And at the time, I was less equipped to take care of Lucas on my own than him, so he probably would have won the case too."

Maya's fists clenched, her hands shaking the slightest bit at the notion of his horrible blackmailing. It reminded her of the way he had torn her down with his words, breaking down any guarded walls she put up by crushing her with words that pinpointed everything she was terrified of. He had known just what to say to ruin her and make her want to run. Even now, Maya still could feel the chills down her back from the cruel way he had addressed her, his dangerous eyes and cold words. And she wasn't sure she would forget it anytime soon.

"You probably know this by now, but Thomas is a coldhearted, soulless master of psychological abuse. He unfortunately can read people very well and he uses that to his advantage to make people bend to his will. It's what makes him such a cutthroat and perfect government attorney. And at the time, I shared a bank account with him, and I did not know New York, plus I was just terrified of the threat so I listened and allowed him to pull all the puppet strings." Lila shook her head in disgust. "It was the worst mistake of my life, letting him almost run my life as he wanted. But once I realized his words no longer affected me, I slowly started to take measures to separate our life from his before he tried to ruin Lucas'. You know Lucas developed his irrational anger issues because his father controlled him and put him down in almost all of his childhood, right?"

Maya nodded solemnly.

"After Lucas got kicked out of school, New York was also a way for me to give him an escape from that life before it destroyed him. And then he met you and your friends and started an upward track in his life that made me so unbelievably happy for my baby boy. This past school year he's been the happiest I've ever seen him, and I know it's because of you. You have a calming effect on him that I think he truly needs." Lila met Maya's eyes, smiling warmly. Maya fought the urge to look away. She had broken Lucas' heart mercilessly, and no doubt Lila knew. Why was she being so open and kind to Maya when Maya had basically caused her son so much pain that he regressed in a few short days? "His efforts to become a better person made me take more proactive measures in ensuring our security from Thomas should he decide to try to blackmail us again. And once I did that, I requested a divorce. He protested, make no mistake. He had it set in his mind to ruin my life with Lucas, but I refused to back down and I think once he realized he had no power over me, no matter what he tried to say, he lost interest and went with the divorce."

When Maya didn't respond, Lila reached down and took her hand, squeezing it gently.

"Maya, I know what you're thinking right now. And I don't blame you for running, okay? I don't blame you for anything that happened. I'm sure you reacted the way anyone would have if faced with Thomas' vile verbal abuse. So do not blame yourself."

"But I hurt Lucas…" Maya muttered, feeling her throat start to tighten a bit dangerously, "I hurt him and on top of that I've put you both in danger now. He said he's going to ruin your lives and make things hard for you both. He said he has connections that can pull strings to ruin Lucas' future. He said if I didn't break up with Lucas that he would make it so that Lucas' future would be stilted and ruined before he even had a chance."

"Well… He's not lying. He _does_ have those connections and he very well could utilize them to try to make things much harder for Lucas, but I doubt even he has so much power that he can have that strong an impact."

"But—"

"Maya, while I appreciate your concerns for me and my son, please let _me_ handle Thomas on my own. It's not your call to do what you think is right regarding him. You were collateral damage in something much bigger than you, and I wish you would have just come to me first." Lila responded sternly, though her expression was still warm, "He may think he has a noose around our necks still, but truth is, we've long been out of his clutches. I'm a lawyer too, remember? I've got a few tricks up my sleeve. Let me worry about the wellbeing of my son and me. Let me handle Thomas, okay? You just be your wonderful, beautiful self."

"…Okay." Maya nodded, feeling marginally better and more secure about the whole thing from Lila's reassurance. "Are you sure you guys will be okay?"

"We'll be just fine, darling." Lila gave her hand another squeeze before checking her watch and straightening, "Now, I really have to head off to work. But once you're discharged, I will see you for dinner over at our place with my granddaughter, yeah?"

"Yeah." Maya smiled. "I'll do just that."

"I'll be back tonight to visit you again. Do you need anything or want anything?"

"I, uh…" Maya tapered off, chewing on her lower lip and holding herself back from asking what she really wanted to ask. "…How's Lucas?"

"…I don't know. He's been kind of out of it since seeing you in such a state of poor health and immobile." Lila's expression turned pensive. "We're all kind of giving him his space because I'm pretty sure he just needs some time to come to terms with what happened to you."

Maya's eyes widened, her heart beating faster. "He was here? In the hospital?"

"The day you got admitted. After your surgery, he stayed by your side for a whole twenty four hours waiting for you to wake up. I don't even know if he ever went to the bathroom. When we found out you were in a coma, he left and hasn't come back as far as I know." Lila gave Maya a serious look. "If you want me to be blunt about him really, then I'll be honest. Lucas isn't doing so well. The girl he loves fell down some stairs, had an emergency surgery to deliver her baby and almost died from blood loss before ending up in a coma for longer than a week. After which, he was informed that that same girl suffered from a seizure. I think you probably know how messed up he is right now."

"But why didn't he come back once he found out that I was okay?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, Maya. Even I don't really know what's going on in his mind right now. And I know everything about him." Lila gave her a sympathetic smile. "But I wouldn't worry about it too much. He'll come around when he's ready. I'll be back tonight, okay?"

Maya nodded. "Thank you for stopping by."

"No problem, Maya. Get some rest."

As Lila left the room, Maya fell back against the pillows, a weight lifted off her shoulders from learning that Lucas and his mother were safe from Thomas. The tight pain in her chest released the vice grip it had on her heart from knowing that Lucas did come to the hospital. That despite her brutally ripping out his heart and stomping on it, he still cared.

But the relief she could have felt was diminished quite a bit by the fact that even though yes, Lucas still cared, he was certainly staying away now. Why hadn't he come back yet? Had he give up on her?

Her train of thought was broken when Missy suddenly popped her head into the room with a smirk.

"Knock, knock."

"Missy? Hey." Maya smiled. She hadn't expected any visits from her friends until later. It was still quite early in the morning after all. "What are you doing here?"

"Billy and I are heading to UNC for a college visit today but I just needed to make a quick stop here before we left." Missy yawned as she made her way over to the side of Maya's bed. "No way was I going to let you die or something while I was gone, scrub. I wanted to make sure you were still alive and breathing and threatening to kick people's asses again. Also, Jemma says you still have a job waiting for you whenever your maternity leave is just about up."

"Good to know." Maya snorted, rolling her eyes good naturedly. "But thanks for checking up on me. And thank you for getting me to the hospital when you did Missy. If it hadn't been for your quick thinking, I probably could have had a worse outcome."

"You owe me now. Hope you're ready for me to bring it up at every turn of the second." Missy said smugly. Then her goofy expression sobered as her brows furrowed. "But seriously. I'm really glad you're okay. That coma you fell in really scared the shit out of me. And I don't usually get scared of anything nor do I care about things. I was so confused."

"It's called finally growing a heart, Missy."

"It's gross. I don't like it."

Missy checked her watch with a sigh.

"I would stay and chat more, but I _really_ do have to leave because Billy threatened to leave my ass here since I made him late to another college visit earlier this month." Missy winked saucily. "I made it up to him though. Behind the bleachers during the pep rally though he said that's not going to work anymore. We'll see about that. No guy can keep a coherent thought when their girlfriends' mouth is around their—"

"So when did you say you were leaving?" Maya deadpanned, cutting her off before she could finish her statement.

"One of these days, we _will_ swap sex stories. You can't avoid it forever."

"Is that a challenge? Because I can definitely take you up on that."

Missy laughed. "Come see me when you're let out of this hell hole, okay Maya?"

"Okay." Maya smiled. "Seriously, thank you for everything, Missy. You're a good friend."

"Eww… Friend? Who said we were friends?" Missy's nose wrinkled playfully in disgust, a slightly embarrassed blush painting her cheeks. "Don't get all sappy with me. Our relationship works best with that thin line of hate between us."

"Yeah, whatever."

They laughed and then Missy leaned down and gave Maya a hug, squeezing her slightly before letting go with a cheerful smile on her face. She straightened and readjusted her bag on her shoulder.

"You take care of yourself, okay?"

"Have fun at UNC."

Missy waved one last time before hurrying out of the room when her phone's ringtone started blaring through her bag.

Shortly after Missy left, a nurse came by to run a quick physical on Maya to see if she had any serious physical responses to the medication at the moment. Aside from her head feeling a little light, she didn't think she felt anything unusual. But then again, she'd only just started on the medication. She had been warned that if she felt anything that truly felt outside the norm to let a nurse know immediately, but for the most part, Maya supposed she felt fine.

She had another quick rehab session in order to ensure her motor functions were still relatively normal. And they were for the most part, albeit a little slower than she was used to, but she had definitely improved. Drawing felt a little weird because the fluidity of her hand and wrist wasn't quite back yet, but it was getting there. At least nothing really had changed. It was a relief for Maya who'd been a little worried that maybe she might not be able to draw anymore.

After the nurse had finished up and left, Maya expected to be left to stew in her thoughts once again, but a little over a half hour later as she was sketching the view from her window of the buildings in the distance, she heard Shawn's voice from her doorway.

"You're up, kiddo."

Maya glanced up at Shawn with a smile. "Hey."

"It's good to see you actually awake for once." Shawn said, ambling over to her and giving her a warm hug, "I was starting to think that I'd never get the chance to talk to you because my timing was always bad."

"How long have you been back in New York?"

"When Cory called me and told me what happened to you, I came back as soon as possible. But you weren't exactly available to talk to for a while."

"That's kind of what being in a coma does to you." Maya snarked sarcastically. "Makes you unavailable to do much of anything really."

"Not funny." Shawn rose a brow, sitting on the edge of her bed. "I thought I'd missed a chance to talk to you at all one more time. It's terrifying seeing someone you love and care about in a situation like that. And I've seen my fair share of people I cared about in the hospital. I lost one once. I never want to lose another."

Maya didn't really know how to respond to that, so she nodded silently, staring at her drawing.

"Did you happen to see anyone else on your way here?"

"You mean like your friends?" Maya nodded and Shawn continued, "Not as far as I'm aware of. I know Riley was forced by Cory to go to school. I think she and Minkus are going to visit you in the afternoon. But I came here with Cory and Topanga. They're with your doctor right now, discussing financial issues. I'm going to head back over there, but I thought I should make my presence known to you."

Maya swallowed thickly, suddenly feeling trepidation.

"Let me guess? The cost of our hospital stay is really high. Especially with the surgeries and the fact that all three Harts are currently in the hospital."

"You catch on quick." Shawn said a little grimly.

Maya set down her sketchpad and sat up in her hospital bed, staring at her fingernails with a sigh. She already had to handle every expense for Jellybean. What was she supposed to do about this stuff too? And with her mother down for the count, Maya wasn't really sure what options she had. How many jobs would she have to hold just to be able to sustain life while paying off the hospital bills? Maya was honestly glad that Lila was letting her live in her home because if she had to find an apartment to live in and had to pay rent, she wasn't sure she'd be able to manage. This was way more stressful than she had expected.

"Is it bad? My financial situation?"

"It's not light, I will tell you that much. But Cory, Topanga, and I have thought of a solution until you get back on your feet and are stable. I just wanted to check with you quickly for your permission to do so before we decided." Shawn said, "Since your mother is currently incapacitated and you currently can't leave the hospital, I've decided to help take care of your hospital bills for you. All _three_ of you."

Maya's breath caught in her chest as she stared at Shawn, her jaw slackening the slightest bit at the serious expression on his face.

"Shawn… Y-You don't have to do that. That's too much. I don't want to be indebted to—"

"You won't be Maya. I've decided to do this because I care about you and your wellbeing. Your mother can't take care of you at the moment, and we're not going to leave you to handle this on your own. It's our responsibility as adults who have been there and watched you grow up to help you in tough times."

"But…"

"It's okay. I can handle your hospital expenses and medication right now until you've settled a bit more into motherhood and can start handling your own expenses. But in return, I need you to promise me something. I need you to consider going to college at some point in your future."

Maya frowned in alarm. "Shawn, I can't."

"Maya, you can. Maybe not now. Maybe not in the near future, but you'll definitely be able to later in the future." He asserted, "Just because you have a child doesn't mean that you should drop your entire life. You can still give your all to your baby. And you can still get the degree that your mother's always wished you could have. And it's not just her, Maya. Cory, Topanga, me, even your friends. We all want you to have the chance to go to college too. We want to see you achieve your dreams. And I know you did want to go to college. You just never believed you could get in anywhere because you never believed in yourself. So if I help, I want you to go after what you want. Can you do that for me?"

"…I just… I know what you're saying, and I get it." Maya wrung her hands together. "But there's just too much going on in my life for that. I'm going to be taking care of my child. It might not even be for several, several years before I even consider trying to go back to school for a degree. I want to make that promise, but I don't know if I can right now."

"Fair enough." Shawn nodded. "If you can't make that promise, then can you at last promise me that whenever in the future you don't think things are too hectic anymore, you'll consider it?"

"Yeah." Maya smiled. "I can do that."

"Good. Then don't you worry about a thing. I've got you covered." Shawn leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back gently. "You're strong, kiddo. Even after all the difficulties you've had to endure and all this emotional turmoil, you're still trucking on."

"Thank you." Maya said into his shoulder, feeling the back of her eyes prickling with tears, "I don't know how to repay you."

"Stay strong, Maya. Follow your heart and always chase your dreams, okay? Believe in yourself." Shawn chuckled, "If you can survive falling down stairs, a placental abruption, losing so much blood that you need a transfusion, an emergency surgery, a coma and a seizure, I'm absolutely positive you can survive being a mother. I have no doubt. You'll be okay."

Her eyes pooled with tears and she broke down, sobbing in Shawn's shoulder, clutching his back as he shushed her gently as she cried.

Maya was lucky.

She knew she was so unbelievably lucky that she had people to take care of her and love and care for her wellbeing. She was so so lucky for the friends and family she had. For the people who had always stuck by her and helped her to grow.

Lila providing a home for her to raise Jellybean in with her father.

Lucas accepting the responsibility of fatherhood, making her feel truly and deeply loved, and showing her that she was wanted in people's lives, despite all her shortcomings.

The Matthews housing her when she was kicked out and providing the open and constant familial support she had really needed to get through the pregnancy.

Cory and Topanga assuming the role of her parents and guiding her in her difficulties.

Missy's wisdom and insight in Maya's life and delivering a brutal reality check when Maya needed it.

Farkle charting and mapping her situation and making sure she was healthy and in good condition and lifting her morale and spirits effortlessly.

Shawn showing her that being a mother wasn't all fun and games, and now taking charge in helping her get out of this obstacle.

The doctors putting all their energy in making sure that Maya and Jellybean could both survive.

Some people at school who hadn't treated Maya any differently or made her feel like a pariah for having gotten pregnant.

Kermit easing Maya's fears and responding earnestly and apologetically to all of her words and frustrations and vitriol and anger towards him.

Jellybean being a constant support and companion and allowing Maya to get to know her little by little.

Katy coming back to Maya and caring about her still regardless of how messed up their relationship had become and how many promises they had broken.

Riley never straying from Maya's side and being the calming presence she needed to get through the rough times and for showing Maya that no matter what was happening, she could always count on her.

Maya knew she owed the relative ease of her teenage unplanned pregnancy and the aftermath and everything that had gone down to them all, because she knew without them and if she had been on her own, she would never have made it.

"Thank you." Maya mumbled, letting out a soft, tearful laugh, "Thank you so much."


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: Still responding to PMs and stuff! I promise I am not ignoring anyone! Also this is also a roughly written chapter and also needs to be revised and worked on. Apologies for that, but I'm having trouble focusing because I'm drowsy lol! But I thought why not just write the next part right now since it's the freakin' weekend anyway. So I wrote it in a couple hours. Hope it's decent enough.  
**

**There's an iCarly reference in this chapter somewhere. If you can find it, you win a patented Tiramisuspice Bear Hug©! (When I'm healthy of course lol. I don't want to get anyone else sick).**

**You all are just wonderful people and I owe everything to you for just being so sweet and encouraging and helping me step out of my writing shell. It means so much to me that you guys read my stories and review and I'm happy that this story means something to you. Thank you for all of your patience and the kind reviews. Thanks for the well wishes for my sickness! I wholeheartedly appreciate everything you all have done for me, mes chéries :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own GMW, but Lucaya is bae.**

* * *

Maya stared out the window of her room, listening to the sounds of the busy streets of New York and trying to focus her thoughts. They were pretty scattered at the moment, and Maya was honestly having some trouble figuring out how to center them, but she figured it was just because she was still a little stuck on the conversations she'd had earlier that morning.

But she couldn't lie that thinking in general made her fatigued, and she had taken a nap for a few hours when she felt a little too dizzy to stay up. It had been a restless sleep, her dreams slowly morphing into the nightmare of her falling down the concrete steps of the subway each time they started. It was like her mind wouldn't let her forget that memory.

And it was terrifying.

Each time she reached the moment after the ground rose to meet her and she collided with the pavement, she would gasp awake, her eyes flying open, her breathing harsh and body trembling slightly from the memory. The worst thing about the situation was that she was pretty tired, but yet she couldn't sleep. She was honestly concerned and wondered if having the nightmares for the rest of time was her fate.

Maya had woken up a few minutes earlier and had decided maybe the reason why she couldn't sleep was there was too much stuff running through her mind to truly be able to relax and let her sleep take control of her. Hence her staring out the window and trying to calm down her reckless thoughts with the soothing and familiar sounds of the city.

But she had a feeling that there would be no reprieve from her racing thoughts until she went to see Jellybean.

But she was too scared to without Lucas.

Therefore, she knew what she needed was _Lucas_. Not just because his reassurance was definitely comforting, but also because she was beginning to think he truly had decided he no longer wanted anything to do with her, and she needed proof that it wasn't true.

But why had he left?

Her thoughts were interrupted when she suddenly heard voices bickering in the corridor. They were growing louder with each second that passed as they approached her door. And in slight surprise, Maya realized she recognized the voices as Riley and Farkle's.

"Not like that! Be careful not to drop it!"

"Quiet, Riley. You'll wake the dead with how loud you're being."

"Not funny, Farkle. We're in a _hospital_. In the ICU."

"Wait, I swear I didn't mean it like that!"

Then Riley and Farkle appeared in her doorway, lugging with them a flat screen TV.

"Maya! You're awake." Riley greeted, waving happily with one hand. "Did you talk to Uncle Shawn yet? He's got news."

"Riley!" Farkle exclaimed, "Keep your hand on the TV!"

With a squeak of surprise, Riley quickly replaced her hand before it crashed to the ground, and Maya snorted in amusement at Riley's scatterbrained antics while the two of them stumbled around for a few seconds, trying to catch their balance and prevent dropping the TV. Farkle looked about one hundred percent done at the moment, and Maya wondered how long they had been lugging the TV around.

_And speaking of TVs…_

"Yeah I spoke to him. I can't believe he's sacrificing that much for me." Maya said, pulling the covers off of her legs and sitting up slowly, being careful not to move too much and bother her healing abdomen, "What's with the TV?"

"Well, we figured you'd need some entertainment if you were going to be stuck here for a while." Riley started, walking slowly with Farkle through the door towards to the table with some 'get well soon' gifts.

"And I suppose I don't need a TV in my room for the time being." Farkle added, "So we thought we'd bring you this since you don't have one in your room."

"You guys…" Maya said, smiling, "You shouldn't have."

"Of course we should have, no question about it. We want you to feel comfortable." Farkle dismissed her comment. "I'm going back to school to pick up some of the get well soon presents people have been leaving you at school."

Well that was surprising.

"What?"

"Yeah, pretty much everyone knows about what happened to you." Riley said, "Some girls were apparently making fun of you and making comments about how happy they were you weren't showing up at school and then Missy went nuts and got her posse on them and forced them to apologize for being so rude without knowing what happened to you. Ever since people at school found out, they've been sending you gifts and stuff since your accident."

"Ms. Kossal offered to keep them all in her classroom, but there are too many now and she requested I give them to you especially since you're awake now." Farkle continued.

"That's really nice of her and the other students." Maya said.

"Well, you are her favourite student."

Riley and Farkle made their way around to the part of the table not occupied with stuff. They set the TV on the table carefully and then stepped back, letting out relieved sighs from the weight being removed from their hands. After Farkle plugged in the TV and the TV logo popped up on the screen before it showed a channel, Riley let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness. I thought we'd broken it in transport." Riley said.

"We?" Farkle rose a brow at her. "Riley, you ran it into the wall when we rounded corners. _Three_ _times_. If it was broken, I'd say it was your fault."

"Tomato, to-mah-to." Riley waved off his comment before taking the remote out of his hand and walking to Maya. She leaned down and gave Maya a quick kiss on the cheek before handing it to her. "How do you feel today, Maya?"

"Right now? I _feel_… like Farkle needs to come over and give me a hug because I haven't seen him in a while." Maya outstretched her arms with a pout. "Where's my hug, Farkle?"

Farkle made his way over to Maya before leaning down and giving her a tight squeeze. Maya wrapped her arms around his shoulders, letting him rock her slightly back and forth.

"I missed you Farkle…" she muttered.

"Yeah… Me too. I never knew how hard it was not having you around being your sarcastic, fierce self until you suddenly weren't there." Farkle sniffled slightly, and in alarm, Maya pulled back, a little surprised by how quickly his demeanor had changed.

"Farks… Are you crying?"

His eyes were red rimmed as he looked at her, and Maya felt her heart twist in her chest. Farkle didn't cry. He _never _did. For as long as she'd known him, she'd never seen him cry once. The fear and pain and anguish in the depth of his azure gaze was heartwrenching and made Maya's eyes sting with tears as she stared up at him, a little speechless. Riley smiled warmly, reaching forward and resting her hands on both their shoulders comfortingly.

"You're one of my best friends, Maya. I may be a robot, but I'm not immune to emotions. I thought you were going to die. And you're awake right now, and it's just such a relief."

"…I love you, Farkle." Maya said, pulling him in for another hug.

"I love you too, Maya. Please don't ever scare me like that again."

Maya rubbed his back, relishing in his warmth before he pulled away. Maya smiled a little goofy, trying to bring back some levity in the situation after that painful reunion.

"I'm gonna miss you when you go to Harvard."

"Hey," Farkle smiled. "Even if I'm gone, I'll still be charting and tracking everything in your life and Jellybean's growth. I'm your personal doctor, aren't I?"

Maya nodded.

"Seriously, Maya if you ever need anything just call, and I'll have my dad send a helicopter so I can get to you right away."

Maya chuckled and wiped some tears out of her eyes. What was with all this emotional crap happening to her again? She would have thought after all the crying she'd done throughout her pregnancy that she'd be able to keep it in check by now.

"You're sweet, Farks."

Farkle picked his cellphone from where he set it on her bed.

"Alright. Lunch break is almost over. It's just about high time we got going Riley."

"You both are leaving so soon?" Maya asked dejectedly, not really wanting to be left to her thoughts anymore.

She desperately needed a distraction from her thoughts of Lucas. Because he was pervading her mind and it was impossible for her to get any kind of rest when that was the case.

"I have to go back to school," Riley said, smoothing down Maya's hair before cradling her cheek, "I would skip it, but my dad refused to let me today because I missed too many days. He said once I was done with school I could come back here."

"You know your dad might still be in the hospital, right?"

"I know. That's why Farkle and I have to leave quickly. I skipped a class and lunch to help Farkle bring the TV, but if my dad catches me, I'm screwed."

"Okay. But you guys will come back soon, right? I can't stand being in this room by myself."

"Riley and I will be back as soon as school is over. We promise." Farkle said as he headed out the door, "We have to get back before lunch is over, so hurry up Riley."

Riley nodded and then turned to Maya.

"Farkle and I ran into Dr. Stevens on the way up. I asked her when you could see Jellybean, and she said you've already been cleared for leaving your room provided you have supervision from hospital personnel." Riley said, giving her a serious look, "But you haven't seen Jellybean yet, have you? Why? She's your baby, Maya. You were in a coma for her first nine days in this world and now a few more have passed. You need to go see her. Why are you putting it off?"

"I…"

And Maya hesitated, averting her gaze to her fingers on her lap, unsure how to answer Riley's inquiry.

"What's wrong?" Riley asked, "You were ready to finally meet her before the whole Lucas' dad fiasco, but now it's like you're pretending she doesn't exist."

"That's not it. I want to see Jellybean… I really do want to see my baby… but…"

She tapered off again, chewing on her lower lip anxiously.

"Maya. What's going on in your mind? Talk to me." Riley gave her shoulder a gentle, comforting squeeze. "If you don't tell me what's bothering you, I can't try to fix it and meddle in your life, now can I?"

Maya chuckled slightly, and then she sobered, meeting Riley's concerned cherry brown gaze.

"I… I'm a little scared to see her by myself… I was hoping that…"

She couldn't finish her statement and just stared up at Riley, hoping she could understand the gist of what she was saying. It was hard to admit what she was trying to say. It hurt.

"Is this about Lucas?" Riley asked astutely.

Maya nodded. She felt like she was about to start crying. Her throat was already constricting.

"I… I thought…" Her voice cracked a bit and she stopped talking, willing herself to keep it together.

"He'd be here?"

Maya nodded. It was tearing her apart. She loved him. She was in love with him. So much, and he wasn't even here especially when she needed him. She'd never wanted to be attached to him. It just happened. And since she was, it was breaking her heart that he wasn't here, much less contacted her or even tried to send her a message of some sort.

"Why the hell hasn't he come seen me now that I'm awake?" Maya said angrily.

"Maya, he was here through the C section and after the surgery. But he couldn't stay after the doctor told us you weren't waking up. If you had seen his face when we got the news, you wouldn't blame him for not being able to stomach it. I've never seen Lucas break down so badly. We tried to stop him. Tell him he had to stay for you, but he couldn't even look at you unconscious in the hospital bed like that. So he left."

"But I'm awake now!" Maya exclaimed emphatically, fighting the slight wave of dizziness that wracked her body when she was too agitated. "Hasn't he heard the news?"

"We told him. But he still wanted to give you space. He wasn't even sure if _you_ wanted to see him. So he decided it was best not to come back."

"What an asshole." Maya growled, knowing damn well though that was nowhere near how she felt.

She just needed someone to be angry at for the current circumstances. And though she knew neither of them were the cause or at fault, she couldn't help it.

"He's been beating himself up Maya. He blames himself for your accident. He blames himself for all your suffering and for the fact that you had to endure any pain. He thinks he's the reason why your life got hard, especially because of the issue with his dad. That if he hadn't pressured you to be his girlfriend, to be with him, you would be okay." Riley continued, "He's in _terrible_ shape right now. He's way worse than he was after you disappeared for a few days, and I thought _that_ was bad. I don't think he's even slept in a while. He was terrified of losing you. And he didn't know what to do so he decided to leave."

"Where is he now?"

"We're assuming he's at his home. But even his mom can't say for certain because his door is usually locked and sometimes he goes on long drives for hours and doesn't come home until way early hours of the morning. He didn't come to school at all this past week."

It stung.

Even if Riley was telling her what was going on with him, it still stung. Maya thought he would have at least come to see her. If not as someone who loved her, maybe as a friend at the very least.

"Maya… Lucas loves you so much. But he's also lost. He doesn't know what he's supposed to do now."

"So what? Does he think I know? I really need him right now. Even if we both don't know what to do, we can figure it out _together_. At least you all made an effort to see me even if you guys were scared and didn't know what to do. It sounds to me like he's given up…"

_On me_…

"He feels like he's at fault for what happened so he decided it wasn't right for him to see you. That he doesn't deserve to see you or Jellybean. He's refusing to let himself be happy. He knows that the lies and the breakup were provoked by his father, but he wanted to wait until you had decided to let him back in your life because he doesn't think he deserves you anymore after doubting you. He feels guilty." Riley gave Maya a small smile. "Kind of sounds familiar, doesn't it? You do the same thing too. You don't let yourself be happy or have happiness because you think you don't deserve good things in your life."

Maya frowned, though she knew Riley's words had definitely hit their intended target. To her utter annoyance, she knew that deep down, her irritation with Lucas had transformed into empathy and she found herself yearning even more for his presence. Why did Lucas have to be so stupid?

"He didn't even want to make an effort to stay in the hospital. If not for me, then why not for Jellybean? She's still his baby, regardless of how little happiness he thinks he deserves. Does he not realize how much pain his absence is causing me because he ran?"

Riley gave her a dry, peeved look. "Kind of like how _your_ absence hurt us all when _you_ ran, huh?"

Maya's eyes shot to Riley's in slight alarm. Riley was staring down at her seriously, her gaze gleaming with a pain that made Maya instantly feel terrible.

"Riley…"

"But never mind that for now. We _will_ talk about that later and how much you scared me and how I'm so mad at you for that, but I'll wait until you're not in the hospital." Riley checked her cellphone. "I have to go, but Maya. Honestly, no one really knows what's going on with Lucas. I think he's stuck in a blank slate kind of state where the only person who can drag him out of his funk is you. So call him, Maya. He needs you just as much as you need him."

"I'll think about it. I still don't think he should have left. Plus, if this is his choice of behaviour in the face of adversity right now, who's to say he won't leave for real sometime in the future if things really do get rough? Anyway Riley…" Maya gave her a look. "I just realized… If Dr. Stevens saw you here and saw you bring a TV and you spoke to her, don't you think your dad's going to find out if or when she mentions you?"

Riley's eyes widened a fraction, her expression transforming into one of slight fear with a taste of horror.

"We are not done discussing the Lucas situation." Riley pointed out, walking backwards towards the door. "Don't think we are. I just have to leave right now. Text me, okay?"

And then Riley took off, hurrying out of the room as fast as possible. Maya had a good laugh at that, knowing Riley was going to get caught. With her unfortunate luck, she would probably run right into her dad on her way out and then get grounded for 'til college.

But Riley's words had only confused Maya even more and made it harder for her to figure out what to do. What Maya just needed was to talk to someone who had always guided her in the right direction.

What she needed was a chat with her mom.

Maya climbed out of bed slowly, holding onto the wall while she made her way to her crutches beside her bed. Her vision swam a bit, the wave of dizziness wracking her body again and she leaned against the wall, closing her eyes momentarily and trying to fight the slight fatigue that was starting to seep into her body. She hated how weak her body felt. She just wanted to be able to do everything she normally used to.

She slipped the crutches under her arms as usual and leaned her head out of the door. There was usually always a nurse stationed on the floor walking around checking on patients every half hour or so and Maya figured she would be making her rounds to Maya's room soon enough.

As she suspected, a nurse rounded the corner a short while later and when her eyes met Maya's she walked over to her.

"What's wrong?" she asked as she approached Maya, "Do you need something?"

"Yeah… I uh… I wanted to visit my mother. She's in another room on this floor. Katy Hart? Room 571."

The nurse nodded. "Alright. Let's go."

Maya led the way through the corridors as they walked to Katy's hospital room. As they passed many other rooms of people in care, Maya had to keep her gaze staunchly on the tiles on the floor. Hospitals had always made her uncomfortable, but this entire wing and floor of the ICU was especially terrifying as these people were all in serious care for various reasons and seeing family members crying beside bedsides and walking around with red rimmed eyes made Maya very nervous. Honestly, she couldn't wait until she was deemed stable enough to be discharged from the hospital. She only hoped it wouldn't take forever because being here kind of freaked her out.

They arrived at Katy's room, and Maya held her breath. Walking back in here was always difficult because of the image she was always met with. It was a constant reminder and slap in the face that her mother was terribly injured. Of all the difficulties Maya had dealt with recently, this was definitely the worst and hardest to come to terms with and deal with.

Maya set her crutches against the wall near the door and then took careful steps over to her mother's bedside.

Maya settled in the chair beside her mother's bed, her heart breaking all over again as she stared at her mother's gaunt, haggard petite form under the blanket. The bandages wrapped around her head and face. All the IVs inserted into her burned arms. The tubes connected to her nose. The heart monitor's steady beeping as she lay motionless.

It was a hard sight to see.

Her mother had always been bustling and vibrant. Constantly moving. Constantly working. Just constantly being active.

That was clearly no longer the case.

"Hey Mom." Maya finally said to her, after staring at her in silence for a few moments, "I know you can't answer me, but I know you can hear me. I just wanted to say hi. And that I'm waiting for you. I kind of have a lot of stuff I need help with. But I don't know where to start or what to do."

"Sometimes… I feel like being a Hart is a curse, Mom. Why is it that all of us Harts are always forced to endure the hardest things in life? Is this our fate for life? Struggle after struggle after struggle after fucking struggle? To always have difficulties even though we try so hard to make our lives better? The minute I finally let myself be happy, finally let myself smile, and look what happened. Maybe _I'm_ the curse. Maybe my existence is the reason why everybody around me is so miserable. I cause so much pain to everyone."

She swallowed thickly, sniffling before she rested her hand on top of Katy's and squeezed it gently.

"Mom…" Her voice cracked, and Maya's vision blurred as hot tears filled her eyes. "I don't want that kind of miserable life for Mia. I don't know what to do, Mom. There's so much I need to talk to you about… There's so much I still need you for, Mom. I don't know how to be a mother. I'm not ready to be on my own. I still need you to show me what to do. I really, really need you. So please wake up soon."

Maya watched her mom silently for a few moments as tears pooled on her lower eyelids and tumbled down her cheeks, dropping onto her lap as Maya tried to keep herself from sobbing loudly.

And sitting there, realizing she was a daughter who was without her mother at the moment, Maya had a startling moment of clarity.

Maya was a daughter unintentionally abandoned.

And right now, Jellybean was _also_ a daughter without her mother. She had also been unintentionally abandoned, and it made Maya feel sick to her stomach.

_What the hell am I doing?_

Jellybean needed her mother. Just like Maya needed Katy, Jellybean needed _her_.

And Maya knew had to go see her.

"…But even though I don't know what to do, I have made up my mind, Mom." Maya said, sitting up straighter, "Even if I don't know what to say or how to be a mom, I need to see my baby. And if Lucas can't get his shit together to at least be there for his daughter in her first days of life, then she doesn't need him in her life. And I don't need him in mine."

She knew it was a straight up lie, especially when her chest tightened painfully at the thought of truly ending things with Lucas, but at least saying those words helped her slightly find a resolve. Helped her find a little bit of peace with the situation. Because she had made up her mind to go see her baby girl, no matter how frightened she truly was.

It really hurt that Lucas wasn't going to be there with her, but she had to move on. She had to continue on. It was time for her to stop bullshitting and assume responsibility. This was the time for her to be strong for her poor baby in the NICU. Maya had been feeling sorry for herself long enough. It was time to put aside her own issues and fears and start taking care of her child. Start focusing her attention on Mia.

Because no doubt that little premature baby was terrified. She was in a new place. A new world and out of the protective cocoon she had been in and she didn't even have proper support from her parents to help her get through this.

Maya wondered if Katy had ever had this kind of moment of clarity after her period of grieving when Kermit had left. If there had just been one day where Katy stopped thinking about the destruction of her relationship and changed and focused all her attention on Maya.

"I love you, Mom. I'll come visit you again after I see Jellybean. Sleep well."

Maya stood up carefully, using the arms of the chair as a support to get to her feet and steady herself. She lumbered slowly to the wall where she'd rested her crutches and took them back before walking out of the room to the nurse who had politely stepped out of the room to give them privacy.

"Ready to go back?" she asked kindly, her eyes warm and sympathetic.

"Yeah…" Maya cleared her throat, nodding again when her voice came out too weak. "I'm ready. Can I grab a sweater from my room really quickly? I want to go see my baby now too."

"Yes, that's fine." The nurse responded, gesturing down the hall, "Go ahead. I'll be right behind you."

They made their way slowly down the corridors of the wing back to Maya's room, Maya lost in her thoughts as they walked.

She wondered when her life had gotten so complicated and messed up from a pregnancy. It hadn't even been nine months, but it felt like years had passed since everything had started in the fall. She couldn't even remember a single time her senior year that hadn't been stress filled as her pregnancy went on. Sure, she'd had moments where she was able to relax a bit, especially thanks to Lucas, but her impending motherhood had always weighed on the back of her mind.

She was just so tired. She just wanted to live her life without all these dreadful difficulties.

It just wasn't good for her mentality or health, and even now, Maya was starting to really feel like she was just trouble waiting to happen. No matter who she associated with, trouble followed. And she couldn't help but feel like that would only continue in the future.

No wonder Lucas had fled.

He probably was scared that she would only bring more trouble and difficulties into his life. Even if Riley said he was just scared, Maya couldn't help but feel like what he was scared of was having to endure more suffering because of her.

As Maya turned the corner and walked down the hall, her eyes were focused on the ground in front of her, being cautious and making sure to take slow and easy steps that wouldn't throw her off balance and knock her over because using the crutches was a pain in the ass. As she glanced up, her eyes caught a small flash of white and drifted to the object.

A white rabbit in someone's hand.

_Mr. Flopsy._

Maya slowly lifted her gaze, her eyes widening all the while as she realized who was standing in front of her hospital room, facing her, looking a little out of breath and totally disheveled.

_…Lucas_.

Their eyes locked, and Maya's breath hitched in her chest at the overwhelming amount of fear and relief and affection and _love_ in his gaze that she didn't know what to say.

They both froze, standing at a distance, holding each other's gazes though not saying anything.

If they weren't at this awkward stage, if they weren't at this point, if there weren't these unspoken issues between them and unresolved problems from their messy breakup, Maya might have dropped her crutches and run over to him and jumped into his arms. But she was frozen in place, staring up at him with wide eyes. She didn't know what to say. Hell, she wasn't even sure what to _think_. Her heartbeat was drumming loudly in her ears and all she could do was stare at Lucas, wondering if she was imagining him standing in front of her. She'd hallucinated before.

But before she could even think of something to say, before she could try to gather her thoughts, Lucas strode over to her purposefully, engulfed her in his arms, and crushed her to him.

Maya dropped her crutches in shock, a small gasp escaping her lips as he held her tightly, his face buried in her hair. She could feel and hear his heart racing wildly in his chest, his breathing a little choppy as he inhaled deeply.

It was real.

Lucas was really there.

"L-Lucas…"

He was shaking.

He was trembling and holding her so tightly as if he thought that if he loosened up, she could disappear.

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry, Maya…"

Her heart constricted painfully in her chest, her eyes welling with tears before she could even think to control them.

And with a soft whimper, she reached up and clutched his sweater, breaking down and sobbing into his chest.


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: So happy some of you guys got Spencer's 'for til college' reference. Literally I was giddy for like a week. And as promised, patented Tiramisuspice Bear Hug© for anyone who guessed it/knew it/etc!**

**I finally finished up this chapter because I have an exam later today and felt like I needed to relax before it. This chapter has been a long time coming. I've been restarting it for a while because I was trying to get back into a proper Enceinte angsty mood, but I was way too messed up and the chapter kept coming out way too dark and grim. I think I fixed the tone though. Let me know if it feels different. I can rewrite it if it doesn't match the rest of the story.  
**

**Thank you everyone for the support guys! I know it's been a long time with a lot of ups and downs and a lot of waiting for Lucas to come back and I want to thank you for your patience and waiting for the story to unfold! I really appreciate it and I thank you for all the sweet words you have given me through it all! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own GMW, but Lucaya is bae.**

* * *

Maya wasn't sure how long they remained in the hallway, Lucas holding her in a tight embrace as if the thought of letting her go terrified him, Maya clutching onto him because she wasn't sure if she let go she would be able to stay upright. Her legs felt like they were about to give out, and her heart was hammering so wildly in her chest she was having trouble breathing.

He was here.

Lucas came back.

"Miss Hart?" The nurse finally said, clearing her throat and sounding a little uncomfortable. "Did you still want to see your baby?"

"I do…" she mumbled through a soft sniffle, her face still buried in Lucas' chest. "Can I… Can I have a few minutes to talk to him?"

"Take all the time you need. Let me know when you're ready to go."

Maya heard footsteps leave from behind her, but she remained in place, revelling in the comfort and warmth she felt in Lucas' arms. She hadn't realized how much she had needed it. How much she had truly missed him.

Which only served to remind her of the fact that he'd left.

Lucas must have sensed her hesitation or felt her stiffen, because he slowly pulled back from her the slightest bit, gazing down at her with a tender look in his eyes that it made Maya's heart lurch in her chest. A look so full of sheer relief and care and _love_ that it made her chest hurt.

"Maya…" he murmured.

She said nothing, averting her gaze from his. She was still angry at him. Even if he came, she was still mad, and she was hurt, and she felt guilty. Guilt like nothing else for crushing his heart to pieces when he never deserved those kind of lies.

Why the hell was he here?

With a soft sniffle and a frown, Maya pushed away from him, and Lucas loosened his grip, giving her a little space to back away from him.

"Lucas… We need to talk."

"I know…" he said softly, wiping a tear from her cheek with his thumb before stroking it gently, his gaze affectionate and warm, "I know we do. I know we have things to discuss, but I just… I needed to confirm…"

_That I was alive._

Maya nodded, but she stepped back from him completely and out of his reach and stooped, picking up her crutches and steadying herself. She saw the hurt but resigned look flash momentarily through Lucas' eyes as his hand fell slack against his side, but she kept her gaze on the ground, forcing herself to keep some sort of distance.

She had desperately wanted Lucas here to support her, but now that he was here, the only thing going through Maya's mind was that he shouldn't be. Was how him staying would only bring more pain and anguish in his life. She'd already caused him so many problems. She couldn't do this to him again.

Her mind was telling her to end things for real, even if it truly hurt to think about that.

But she didn't want Lucas to suffer any more pain because of her. He needed the distance from her. She needed to protect him.

"Maya—"

"We'll disturb other patients if we stay out here talking." Maya said, moving past him and into her room, "We should go inside."

Lucas nodded and followed her inside the hospital room, though he didn't say anything. He looked a little uncertain now, his expression a little more guarded than before, and Maya knew he had picked up quite a bit on the distance she'd very quickly put between them. She hated doing this to him, but she didn't want to let him in again. She'd make life for Lucas worse.

Maya's very existence was a curse.

She broke things, made everyone's lives worse. She was trouble walking on two legs and she would be damned if she let anyone else experience hardships because of her. She'd already managed to wreck her mom's life, and Mia was also in the hospital too because Maya was inadequate as a mother.

Mr. Friar had been an asshole, yes. But he had definitely been right about one thing:

She would only drag Lucas down.

Maya sat down on the edge of the bed, resting her aching limbs and turned to Lucas, waiting patiently as he rubbed the back of his neck in the doorway, clearly deliberating whether or not he should sit beside her. He hesitated, briefly tightened his grip around Mr. Flopsy's arm, and then he walked over to her, settling beside her. There was a fair bit of space between them, but Maya made no attempts to close the distance.

They sat there silently for a moment, awkwardly staring out of the window at the city's buildings in the distance, neither knowing quite how to start the conversation they needed to have, neither knowing what to say to break the unease that had settled between them. There was so much to say, and Maya wasn't even sure where to begin. Lucas was fidgeting with Mr. Flopsy's checkered bowtie, his inability to remain still an obvious sign of his discomfort.

"You uh… You brought Mr. Flopsy."

"Yeah."

"So you were going to go see Jellybean, I take it?" Maya asked, fiddling with her hospital robe and glancing at him.

"I was." Lucas turned his gaze to her, and Maya's breath almost hitched in her chest from the heated gleam in the sea-foam green. She quickly averted her gaze once again. "I made a promise to always be there for Jellybean, Maya. And I wasn't. I can never forgive myself for that. I was gone for so many days in her life because I couldn't get my act together."

Maya nodded, understanding that feeling all too well. She had done the same to their baby girl. She'd been so caught up in her own problems and life that she had forgotten the most important thing, first and foremost, was that she had to take care of the baby she'd given birth to. That as a mother, it was her duty to put her life second to her child's. But she had put herself first. And that was unforgivable.

"I saw Mr. Flopsy under my bed when I was looking for something." Lucas continued. "And I realized I had forgotten about Jellybean. That I'd failed. I made a terrible mistake. I neglected her, and I'm supposed to be her father. What kind of deplorable father forgets about the baby that was brought into a strange new world before she was ready? I know she has to be scared out of her mind. I know she's probably terrified, and she didn't have either of us supporting her. And when I realized that, I knew I had to come back."

"…Why did it take you so long?" Maya muttered crossly, if only because she wanted to lash out.

She wanted to latch onto some of her anger, but Lucas sounded so apologetic and remorseful and disgusted with himself that she knew the lingering irritation with him had pretty much dissipated. Maya had a feeling he might have had the same fears she did about seeing Mia alone. But deep down, she knew she wasn't asking about Jellybean.

Honestly, Maya was asking why he hadn't come back to _her_ sooner. She was asking why she wasn't important enough for him to deem someone he would have to come to quickly.

"I was going to go see Jellybean all these days. I wanted to, but I lost my nerve and got scared. I couldn't do it without you. And I couldn't go see her without you because we're supposed to see our baby together. We made her together. It didn't feel right for me to go by myself, especially when I felt so guilty. And that's when I knew I had to see _you_ no matter what, Maya. Even if you rejected me."

He was watching her carefully, clearly trying to gauge her reaction. Maya stared at the tiles on the floor, her heart beating faster in her chest. He'd opened the door first. The door to figuring out what their relationship was now. There was no way to avoid it anymore.

"Oh…"

She didn't say anything else, choosing not to respond in full. She knew if she responded, he would easily be able to sense how much she just wanted to be engulfed in his warmth once again. But she couldn't have him knowing that she wanted him so badly it was tearing her heart apart because it would make it that much harder for him to let her go.

When he picked up on her decision to remain relatively silent, with a sigh Lucas set the white rabbit on the hospital bed and turned more fully towards her, facing her directly, a frown on his face.

"Maya." Lucas said seriously. "I love you."

Maya's gaze shot to his, her brows rising in slight shock at his sudden confession. Her heart started pounding faster in her chest, and she inhaled sharply, a sort of panic gripping her heart from his words.

It scared her.

"I do, Maya. Even if you don't believe me after everything that has happened, it's true. I still love you. You mean more to me than you could ever imagine. I thought you breaking up with me was painful, but that was nothing compared to not being able to hear your voice while you were in a coma. _Nothing_ compared to almost losing you. I was lost without you."

_No_.

She was scared.

It wasn't supposed to go that way.

Lucas wasn't supposed to confess to her and look at her in a way that made her feel like she was something precious and beautiful when she knew she was disgusting. A waste of space. Unworthy of him. It would make it so much harder to finally end this thing between them.

Maya chewed on her lower lip silently, staring at Lucas' Adam's apple because she couldn't look in his eyes. Not with the way he was looking at her like she bettered his life or something. She was the antithesis to Lucas achieving a productive life. Everything had gone bad because of her.

"Stop doing that. Please, Maya." Lucas said, taking one of Maya's hands in one of his own, almost pleading with her to give him a reaction, _anything_. "Don't. Stop doing this to me. Every time you do, part of me dies inside because I keep thinking you want nothing to do with me!"

"Doing what?" She swallowed thickly, goosebumps rising on her arm from his touch.

"You're closing yourself off from me! You kept trying to do that all throughout your pregnancy. You did that to me after Thomas got involved. But enough. Aren't you tired of holding everything back and trying to shoulder your burdens on your own?" Lucas reached up, cradling Maya's cheek, heartache in his eyes that made Maya feel guilty because she knew it was true. "Maya, please talk to me. Even if our relationship is a mess right now, we're still friends at least. I still care about you. And I'd like to think you care about me too. So can you please stop closing yourself off?"

"I have no choice now, do I?! Because this is going to happen _again_ if I don't Lucas. I open up, I'll wreck everything between us again because it's only a matter of time until I do, and you'll leave."

"I won't leave!"

"Yes you will!" Maya hoped he couldn't see how close to tears she was. "The only reason you stayed in the first place was because we had a baby. It's why you came back too. Because of the baby. So when Mia is older, you're going to leave."

"Yes, I came back because I have a daughter. But Maya, I also came back because I love you, okay? Not just because we had a kid. I've loved you for years." Lucas frowned, staring at her incredulously like she'd lost her mind. "Why would you ever think otherwise? Your entire pregnancy, I told you time and time again I wasn't going anywhere."

"Lucas… I don't want you to be held back by me. Don't feel bad." Maya's voice cracked dangerously. "I-I was meant to get left. So… so it's better if we just—"

Lucas stopped her abruptly by pressing a finger to her lips, his jaw clenched and expression clearly displeased. He took her chin, lifting up her face so her eyes were on his. Maya bristled, her eyebrows rising in slight trepidation from the anger in his gaze.

"Does this have to do with whatever Thomas did to you?" His eyes narrowed dangerously.

Maya stiffened immediately.

"No," she said quickly.

"Maya, what did my father say to you?" Lucas growled through grit teeth. "I know he talked to you the day you broke things off. And I know my father. I have no doubt he said something terrible to you. So what did he say or do? Tell me, or so help me Maya, I'm going to kill him."

"Lucas, calm down." Maya frowned, wrenching her chin from his grasp. "It doesn't matter what he said to me, because the things he said were all true. He didn't lie. He didn't make anything up. He just told me what I already knew about myself. I'm dead weight. I'm meant to get left. I ruined your life by telling you about the pregnancy. And if you stay with me, you'll end up resenting me for ruining your life. Then he told me if I stayed with you, he would pull strings and wreck your future and make life harder for you and Lila. He gave me money to move to Boston."

Lucas stared at her incredulously, stunned by her words.

"Goddamn…" Lucas muttered under his breath after an extended period of silence. He ran a hand through his hair in exasperation. "That's what he said to you?"

"Basically, yeah."

"How the fuck could you ever believe a word coming out of his mouth?!"

"Because they're _true_ okay!"

"No they aren't!" Lucas took a deep breath, closing his eyes momentarily and looking like he was trying to control himself. "Maya, why do you always have to discredit yourself? You've done nothing but better my life. How can you not see how happy I am when I'm with you?"

"I'm not worth it, Lucas. I'll only bring you down. I'm not the kind of person who gets good things in life, and everyone who associates with me ends up with misfortune in their lives too." Maya's throat tightened dangerously and she turned away from him. "Besides, it's easy for you to say this stuff now, but once we're—"

"Maya stop!" Lucas snapped, shooting up to his feet. "Enough with this self-deprecating bullshit! Why do you do this to yourself? How many times do I have to tell you you're not going to bring me down? How many times do we _all_ have to tell you that you deserve everything you've ever wanted and more?"

Lucas' voice broke, and he stooped in front of Maya so they were eye level, holding her gaze and begging her with his eyes to listen to him. Maya's heart started beating erratically in her chest, her eyes glistening with tears.

"Maya… what the hell do I have to do to make you see that? Why can't you understand how much I love you? How much I _need _you… You're the love of my life, Maya. And when you pushed me away, when you broke up with me, when you were in a coma, I couldn't function. Because you're everything to me, Maya. Why can't you see that?!"

"…Lucas." Maya sniffled. "I don't want you to get hurt by me… If you stay with me, you'll only get hurt. Bad things will keep happening to you. I'm a burden to you."

"Has anyone ever told you how selfish you are?" Lucas growled hotly.

Maya's eyes narrowed, indignant from his words.

"What?"

"You're always, _always_ making these terrible, selfish decisions regarding yourself for all of us because you think it's best for us, but in the process you hurt us all! You always try to carry burdens on your own, but it just makes everyone unhappy. Especially you! You deserve happiness too, you know. You are not a catalyst for other people's happiness, so stop acting like you don't deserve something good in your life as well. Accept the fact that I want to be with you because I care about you. You're not a burden!"

Maya couldn't speak, her breath catching in her chest as she stared at Lucas.

"Yes, I know raising a daughter when we're barely adults will be hard. Yes, I'm prepared for a difficult future and a lot of ups and downs and problems. I would be lying if told you I wasn't scared about what the future will hold. We're not perfect, Maya. And we're going to make mistakes as parents." Lucas continued, "But none of those things matter to me. Because we'll be together. We'll make mistakes together. We'll raise Jellybean _together_. When I'm with you, I feel like I can do anything."

"But your father—"

"Enough about that! I've fucking had it!" Lucas barked. Maya's brows rose in surprise. "He's wrong, okay?! None of his words are true, and you shouldn't let them get to you like that. I want to kill him for even saying them to you in the first place when he doesn't know shit about how I feel. If you were a burden to me, why the hell would I stick around so long, huh? Why would I keep coming back to you?"

"…Because you're deranged?" Maya said calmly, half joking.

Lucas was not amused.

"Maya, listen to me. I will never let him come between us again. If I have to work ten jobs just to support us, hell I'll do it. You need to accept the fact that I love you, and I want to be with you no matter what." Lucas said. "But this thing we have? Our relationship? Our future together? It will only work if _both_ of us make an effort. If _both_ of us try."

She chewed on her lower lip, not sure if she should say anything. Even if Lucas told her to believe in him to stay and as much as she wanted to, she just knew deep down that things would get hard for him, and she honestly could not put him through that kind of life with her. Yes, it was selfish, but could he blame her? Lucas meant the world to Maya, and she didn't want him to suffer. She didn't want anyone she loved in her life to suffer. If that meant sacrificing her own happiness, she would do it without a second thought.

"Maya, do you love me?" he asked suddenly.

_Yes._

"Lucas…" she hesitated, her voice wavering.

She couldn't tell him the truth. She just couldn't.

"Please… I just need to hear how you feel. It's tearing me apart okay!" he said shakily, the anguish in his voice making Maya's heart break. "You broke my heart, Maya. You stomped all over my heart and my feelings. You broke _me_. You told me straight to my face that you didn't love me, and I know my father threatened you, but how much of what you said was a lie? How much of what you said were your actual feelings? I can't help but feel like… like you were…"

Lucas exhaled slowly, tapering off as he met her gaze. Maya let out a soft sob with a whimper, her heart squeezing painfully in her chest from the damaged look in his eyes.

"The way we left things off was so bad. And then I thought I lost you… And the thought of losing you and not knowing whether or not you actually were lying. The thought of losing you after I'd said such horrible things to you, and we never got the chance to reconcile. It shattered me. I couldn't take it.

"Can you blame me for thinking you don't love me?" Lucas took in a shuddering breath. "I ruined you, Maya. This is all my fault. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry for putting you in danger. I'm sorry for doubting you. I'm sorry for running away. I'm sorry for putting you through pain. I'm sorry for not coming back when you needed me. I'm sorry for everything."

And Maya broke down and started crying heavily, her wretched sobs wracking her whole body and echoing throughout the room. Lucas sat down closely next to her, gathering her in his arms and pulling her to him, his face buried in her hair. She went willingly, falling into him and letting him hold her, rubbing her back gently as she cried into the crook of his neck and shoulder.

"Lucas, it's not your fault. How could you ever think so?" she murmured, clutching the front of his sweater, "I couldn't have made it through this pregnancy without you by my side. Every time I was scared, you were there. You didn't ruin me. I was happy with you. I really, truly was happy."

She lifted her head, gazing up at him. She looked at him—_really_ looked at him—and for the first time since he'd come back, she could see just how clearly Lucas was messed up by this. The exhaustion and fatigue in his eyes and on his face, light scruff on his jaw and upper lip from clearly not having shaven. Lucas' eyes were red rimmed, the sea-foam green shining from his tears, the pain evident. And Maya suddenly could clearly understand what Riley and Lila had meant when they said Lucas was in bad shape.

There was something broken in his gaze, something broken and empty and his eyes were full of despair, like his life was devoid of meaning. She couldn't imagine how terrible it must have been for him. First, she'd broken up with him and then she'd disappeared from his life only to reappear in a hospital bed about to die. And then she hadn't even woken up for more than a week. No wonder his eyes looked like that. And it broke Maya's heart.

She didn't deserve him. But dammit, she couldn't stay away even if she tried.

She _loved_ him.

She loved him so much just the thought of possibly ending things for good was scaring the shit out of her. She needed him too. Desperately.

Maya lifted her trembling hand, lightly tracing Lucas' face. He leaned into her hand almost involuntarily, as if he couldn't help it.

"Lucas… I love you." Maya brought her other hand up and cupped Lucas' jaw, steadily holding his gaze. "I love you. And I never stopped. Because you make me really happy. Happier than I've ever been before."

Her voice broke halfway through the statement, and her eyes welled with tears, obscuring her vision towards the end, but she saw the smile on Lucas' face. The smile of relief and sheer happiness at her words.

"I love you, Lucas." she repeated, more to herself than to him.

"Maya, will you let back into your life? I know I fucked up, but I need you in my life. Please say yes."

"Yes." she whispered, letting out a breathless laugh.

She leaned forward and closed the distance between them, pressing her lips to his and sliding her arms around Lucas' neck. He pulled her closer, his hand tangling into her hair as their kiss deepened. Maya whimpered into his mouth, pouring into the kiss everything she felt for him, trying to let him know just how much she loved him. How much she needed him too.

It wasn't just a kiss of reconciliation. It was also one reaffirming just how important they were to each other.

And she knew they both could feel it. The love they felt for each other.

"Maya, can you make a promise to me?" Lucas asked, pulling away slightly, his fingers gently threading through her hair.

"Lucas, I don't like promises…"

They always got broken in Maya's life.

"Please. Just this one. Promise me, no matter what happens in our future, even if our relationship gets wrecked again, we can't let that get in the way of us being Jellybean's parents." Lucas stroked her cheek. "She needed us both, Maya. And we failed her."

"You're right… Okay." Maya nodded, sniffling and feeling her eyes well with tears once again, "I promise."

Lucas smiled, leaning forward and pressing his lips chastely to hers again. Maya smiled into the soft kiss, chuckling slightly when the stubble on his face tickled her.

"Hey," he whispered against her lips, resting his forehead against hers, "Let's go see Jellybean."

"Yeah." Maya let out a breathless laugh. "Let's go be her parents."


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: There is nothing more refreshing than Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue. My absolute favourite piece at the moment. Could listen to it for hours. Also, this isn't the last chapter, just letting you know. :)  
**

**I don't know if I like how this chapter turned out. I might end up rewriting it later.**

** Thank you all for the sweet reviews! You guys are so wonderful and I appreciate all the kind words you have given me! It means so much to me that you guys take time out of your busy schedules to drop me these wonderful words! I love you guys! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own GMW, but Lucaya is bae.**

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To say Maya was nervous was an understatement.

Part of her felt like Jellybean would resent her for not being there in her first week of life. The other part of her felt she didn't deserve her child. That her lack of attention and selfishness was already indicative of being a bad mother. She wanted to believe it wasn't true, but truth was, she was having a hard time accepting anything else as fact.

After contacting the nurse that they wanted to visit their baby, she had escorted them to the NICU on another floor of the hospital. They had been buzzed in and after washing their hands and being instructed to tie on a blue gown above their clothes, they were guided down hallways towards rooms where the babies were being kept.

As they walked down the hallway, they passed by a particular pod with blaring alarms and bright lights and nurses bustling about. There was a man standing next to one of the incubators, his hand gently stroking the back of a baby inside it. Maya found herself turning her head, looking into the window of the room despite all instincts in her body telling her not to.

There were six babies in that particular pod, curled up into themselves, many of them naked, bodies red and skin almost translucent and splotchy, as if they were only made of muscle. The baby boy the man was looking at, he was curled into a fetal position, his naked backside raised to the air as a nurse drew blood from his foot. He was absolutely tiny, probably no bigger than Maya's hand, his skin so wrinkled on his body it almost seemed to be hanging off. He looked so frail and feeble. So incomplete, reliant on the machine to sustain his life which he was so desperately fighting to keep.

Maya looked away, swallowing tightly when she felt tears sting the back of her eyes, her heart pounding in her chest in sudden fright. She was glad she had Lucas to do this with her because she wasn't sure she would have been able to on her own.

The nurse guided them towards another wing that Maya noticed had babies in rooms by themselves.

"Jellybean is by herself?" she asked.

"Private rooms in general are better for the development of your preemie," the nurse explained. "Normally, we group the babies in pods together based on levels of medical attention required. But your daughter's grandmother requested a private room for her in your place since only family is allowed to make decisions regarding her care if both the parents are not available."

"Lila?"

"Yes, I believe that's what her name was. Oh, and don't worry. Your baby is always being monitored by nurses or the doctor. She's not alone." She stopped in front of a door with a small smile. "And here we are. Nurse Cara Johnson has been taking care of Mia, so any questions you have regarding your baby, she'll know since she's her primary nurse. Do you need anything else?"

"I think we'll be fine." Lucas replied. "Thank you."

She opened the door to let them in, and Maya hesitantly walked inside before leaning her crutches against the wall.

This room was more spacious, though it still had the incubator and giant monitor attached to it. There was a couch on one side of the room, and it smelled of lavender and something else soothing, even though the lights were also a bit bright.

They approached Jellybean's incubator, Maya's pulse racing uncontrollably.

If Maya thought walking into her mother's hospital room and seeing her connected to all those wires and tubes with the monitors beeping next to her hospital bed tracking her progress had been hard, it was just as terrible seeing Jellybean in the incubator of the NICU.

She was small, just lying in her box not moving except for the fluttering of her eyelashes. There was so much attached to her body it was almost engulfing her completely. An assortment of tangled wires and tubes and IVs all keeping her alive. Attached to her foot. Attached to one of her hands. Two attached to her chest. A mask nearly covering up her whole face.

Jellybean was wearing a diaper and was more grown than some of the other babies she'd seen, kind of in a frog position instead of the fetal position, and her skin was a healthier hue of pink, but just the thought that Mia had at one point probably been at a more volatile stage—struggling to survive, her body fighting her with everything it had—was hard to deal with.

It was hard to see her so immobile.

Movies that showed the babies in incubators made it seem magical, like a cocoon that magically helped grow a baby through metamorphosis, but it was nothing like that. The only thing Maya could think about was if she would survive through this ordeal. The only thing she could think about was how Jellybean must have felt being trapped in this box in some unfamiliar environment being poked and prodded day in and day out. How difficult it must have been for her to try to support herself when she wasn't aware and didn't even know how.

It reminded Maya of the elementary school project years ago when they hatched chicks in the incubator of their classroom. How the egg had been baking in the warm home until the chicks were ready to come out.

Only this was a baby.

A baby who wasn't complete and was being formed in a damn box for goodness sakes. She looked so helpless in the incubator. So small and helpless and fragile and vulnerable, like the tiniest thing could break her thin limbs. Mia hadn't decided her fate and there was nothing she could do but brave out the struggle she was forced into. She was barely two weeks old and already the Hart curse was in full effect.

It tore Maya's heart to pieces.

Maya's throat tightened dangerously as her eyes filled to the brim with tears, and Lucas reached over and slid his hand into hers, squeezing it to comfort her. She knew he was trying to stay strong for her, but Maya could feel Lucas' hand was shaking as well and she knew it must have been as hard for him to see Jellybean this way as it was for Maya. She gave him a weak smile, and Lucas returned it, his own eyes a bit glassy.

Just the thought that her baby girl had even had to suffer made Maya want to curl into a ball and cry.

"Is… is she in pain?" Maya asked no one in particular, her voice no stronger than a mere whisper.

Nurse Johnson looked up from her clipboard and gave Lucas and Maya a warm smile.

"No. She's not in pain right now. She's been sleeping peacefully and growing each day. Your baby has had tremendous growth in the past week and a half. She's definitely a trooper."

But Maya knew that didn't mean Jellybean hadn't been in pain at some point or another. She had to have been, especially if they needed to stick her with all the IVs.

"Mia did have a heart murmur early on, but her valve has closed with medication since then. She's just fine, no signs of trauma and no need for surgery. When Dr. Jerry comes in later, she will explain to you everything, I promise. As for her lungs, they are a little bit weak so we've been supplying her oxygen and she was on a ventilator up until a few days ago. Other than that, your baby is doing just great. Like I said, she is very strong and you have every reason to be proud of her progress."

"Also," Nurse Johnson continued after reading the monitor for a few seconds, "we have all the information—her birthdate and time, weight, her length, blood pressure, etc—charted, if you would like it at some point. Some of what Dr. Jerry will explain to you might be a little scary, but just remember that your baby is in good hands and she will be okay."

Maya stared at her baby, feeling a wave of grief wash over her once again. It was her fault. Jellybean wouldn't be in this situation if Maya hadn't neglected to eat and properly manage her stress. Her incompetence had caused this to happen.

"I failed her." She muttered, not realizing the words had come out of her mouth.

"You didn't. And there was nothing you could do because you were bedridden too." Lucas said, giving her another comforting squeeze. "We'll make it up to her."

Maya gazed at Jellybean for a moment, watching her chest rise and fall slowly with each of her breaths. She just wanted Mia to know she was there. That she hadn't been abandoned. That Maya was there for her now and was there to stay no matter what.

She wasn't alone anymore.

_I want to…_

"I want to hold Jellybean…" Maya muttered.

"I'm sorry. We don't allow the babies out of their incubators, but you can touch her through these holes." Nurse Johnson smiled, though a bit apologetically. "Don't be afraid. A parent's touch is actually very important in the growth process of the baby."

Maya nodded and slowly reached inside the incubator, her hand shaking a little bit. Even if Nurse Johnson had told her that it was okay, she was scared. This wasn't the same thing as petting a dog or some pet. This was touching a baby, a fragile human being that could easily be hurt if Maya wasn't careful.

_What if I break her? What if I make her cry?_

Maya nudged Jellybean's free hand, tentatively tracing her palm with her finger. Jellybean's fingers twitched a bit, barely moving a fraction of an inch each time Maya put a bit of pressure on her hand, though she remained asleep. And then slowly, her hand closed, loosely holding Maya's finger. Mia's tiny hand barely wrapped around Maya's pointer finger, but she was holding it, grasping it as she slept.

Maya inhaled shakily, her chest constricting, the tightness making it hard to breathe as she stared down at their conjoined hands. At the tiny baby fingers loosely gripping her. Maya's vision blurred as her lips quivered uncontrollably. A warm tear trailed down her cheek as a soft whimper left her lips.

She had responded. Mia had acknowledged Maya.

The past few weeks had been the worst of their life. But suddenly everything felt like it was okay.

It was still okay.

Maya was scared, and it was heartwrenching for her sweet baby girl to be hospital bound, but Maya was so happy. So, so happy and so lucky.

Maya was an absolute mess and she knew at the moment she was unfit to be a mother, but seeing Mia, she couldn't help the all-encompassing happiness that ran through her body at knowing she was alive and well and _responding_. It was a parental thing, the feeling of deep pride and love for a human that she'd only known a few minutes. But Maya was proud of her. Despite having been forced from her home early, Jellybean was still fighting and surviving even though she had been abandoned for so long.

Maya broke down into almost hysterical sobbing, laughing and crying, hunched over as tears cascaded down her cheeks. Her shoulders were wracked with her heavy sobs, her breathing coming out in harsh, broken gasps as she cried. Lucas wrapped an arm around her shoulders, holding her to him as he sniffled. She leaned into him, sobbing into his side from her sheer, unexplainable joy.

"Thank you. Thank you so much…"

_Thank you for surviving, Jellybean. Thank you for giving me another chance._

~.~.~

Maya shuffled slowly down the hallway of the NICU, rubbing her eyes sleepily. After going over Jellybean's medical records and expectations with Dr. Jerry, Lucas and Maya had spent some more time with Mia, just getting acquainted with their baby and trying to get her to respond to their voices in some way. Jellybean stayed asleep the whole time, but it had been nice to see the little motions and shifting she did.

Maya had gotten particularly dizzy though and suddenly very fatigued to the point that she was having trouble staying upright. Another nurse had escorted her back to her room to have a nap. Dr. Stevens had informed her that it was one of the possible side effects of her medication and to take caution when she started feeling really tired.

Maya had asked Lucas to stay with Jellybean for the time being, letting him know she would be okay once she had a chance to sleep. Maya felt much better now though and was heading back downstairs to meet up with Lucas. As of that moment, Dr. Jerry didn't recommend anyone but the two of them visiting and talking to Mia, as she was still in a delicate state and it was better not to overwhelm her with several new voices and sounds and sights at once when she was still trying to get used to her actual parents.

Maya followed the nurse as they walked down the hallway and passed the pods. She kept her gaze on the ground this time, still unable to look at the poor babies who were struggling the most despite having walked by the rooms a few times now. It was never any easier. Each time only served to augment Maya's apprehensions regarding Mia's convalescence and growth. Yes, she believed her Jellybean would get better enough to leave the hospital, but walking by the pods and seeing all those babies being taken care of always managed to momentarily scare her once again.

"Call me if you need anything, okay?" the nurse told Maya before walking off.

Maya headed towards the door of her baby's room, but as she approached, she heard Lucas' voice. A low lull, warm and comforting. Something about the tone, grief lacing the words and guilt in the hunch of his shoulders made her pause in the doorway.

He was sitting in one of the chairs beside Jellybean's incubator, his thumb gently stroking the back of her hand as he watched her calmly sleeping. Mia's hand could barely curl around his whole finger, and it made Maya smile at how adorable the sight was.

Until she heard what Lucas was saying.

"…I messed up, Jellybean. I told her I would stick with her and you, and we would do this thing together. And I didn't keep my promise to her."

Maya's brows furrowed in surprise when she realized he was talking about her.

"She thinks she failed you, but there was nothing she could have done. But I have no excuse." Lucas muttered, sniffling softly. "I failed you so hard. You've been here by yourself, and I could have stuck with you, but I ran. I was a selfish coward and left you on your own. I don't deserve to be your father. But I'll spend every waking moment of every day making it up to you in hopes that you'll forgive me one day."

"Truth is, I was scared when your mother was in the hospital and left, but my biggest fear was that I'll let you down and hurt you. History repeated itself, you know?" Lucas said. "My mom bedridden from the emergency C-section that almost took her and my life, my father not in the hospital when she needed him, me in the NICU. It's the same thing, only this time, I'm the absent asshole. Just like my father. And I don't want to become just like my father, but I already have his temper. I'm near spitting image. I feel like I'm already heading down that path and there's nothing I can do to stop it."

"Mia. I know you can't respond yet, but I'm going to ask you anyway. I want you to always take care of your mother. Always be there for her like you have been the whole time she was carrying you. If she's ever in trouble, I need you to make sure you can support her, because I can't."

Maya's breath hitched, her eyes widening in shock at his words. What the hell did he mean by that?

"That isn't to say I don't want to. I will always want to support Maya. I want to make her happy because she deserves everything she wants and more. And I'm the luckiest guy in the world to be with her and that she gave me a second chance after I messed up so badly. But I'm not good enough for her." He shook his head, his voice breaking a bit. "No matter what I do, the fact remains that I already let her down. She was here and suffering and I couldn't even find it in me to let go of my own selfish fears and come back to her. I'll never be able to forgive myself for that. And that's always going to remain between us. My failure to be there for her when she needed me the most. My failure to try to understand why she was suddenly pushing me away. That's why I'm asking you to please always be there for her, Jellybean. Because I'm not good enough and probably will never be good enough."

Maya had heard enough of this bullshit. She hobbled into the room, clearing her throat as she walked in and set her crutches out of the way. Lucas spun around, his brows lifting in surprise when he saw her. His eyes were red rimmed, and Maya's heart broke at the sight, wondering how long he had been crying. This whole time, he had lectured her about the negative way she saw herself and here he was doing the same stuff to himself. What the hell was up with them? They really did have the same self-deprecating tendencies that Riley and Missy had pointed out.

"You're awake," he said, somewhat awkwardly.

Maya nodded as she walked up to the side of Lucas' chair. "You've been down here a long time."

"It's only been a few hours since your nap." He dropped his gaze back down to the floor, guilt cloaking his entire demeanor. "I just want to make sure Jellybean never feels alone."

Maya frowned. "Lucas."

"Yeah?"

He wouldn't look at her.

It pained her to know that Lucas thought himself that way even after all they'd been through, but she knew he was dealing with his own demons and unable to forgive himself, just like she was trying to deal with hers. She wouldn't overstep. It didn't feel right. If he ever wanted to come talk to her, she would definitely listen. But nothing she could say about him leaving the hospital while she was still there would mean anything if he couldn't forgive himself for it first.

But she wasn't going to let him continue to believe he was anything like his father though. That was beyond self-detrimental, and Maya wouldn't stand for it.

Maya took his face in her hands and lifted his head so he was meeting her gaze. The heartache in his broken gaze made Maya's throat tighten dangerously.

"You are _not_ your father. You're not a horrible, manipulative, blackmailing asshole who doesn't care about people's wellbeing. You're not obsessed with pride and only interested in success instead of people's happiness. You care about the people you love with everything you have. You have a heart and you care so much and that's why you'll never become him either, Lucas. You are nothing like him in the least."

Maya leaned down and pressed her lips to his, hoping he could feel her sincerity through her kiss. She may not have had the best or perfect words to say to him, but she desperately wanted him to at least believe in what she was saying through her actions. She wanted him to believe that she honestly meant those words with everything she had.

When she pulled away slowly, he was staring up at her stunned, surprise on his face as he searched her eyes.

"Maya…"

She smiled, stroking his cheeks and trying not to laugh at all the sharp hairs poking into her palm.

"Do you really think if you were anything like your father, I would have fallen in love with you, Huckleberry?" Her voice broke. "You're a great guy with a great heart who's done nothing but fight to make sure I could be happy when things were so hard for me. You matter to me. You matter to us both. Why would you ever think otherwise?"

If she had to tell him every day for the next however many years until he believed it, she would. He'd taken care of her all this time. It was time for her to take care of him too.

He thought he wasn't good enough, but he was more than enough for her. He believed that she was worth it, and he'd shown her since she had first met him. Thanks in no small part to him, he'd helped to build her up and show her that her life wasn't inconsequential. Yes, things had gotten messy, and their relationship had briefly gotten torn apart, but they could work it out. They could fix it all.

Lucas smiled and reached up, cupping his hand around the back of Maya's head and gently pulling her down to him, claiming her lips in a deep kiss. Maya returned it, sliding her fingers into the hairs at the base of his neck.

She knew he was letting her know he would try his best to shed his thoughts, even though there was no guarantee. It was a start.

"Alright I think— oh!" Nurse Johnson turned rapidly away after she walked in, her cheeks burning red. "I didn't realize you guys were umm… having a moment. I'll give you some privacy."

They heard footsteps quickly move out of the room and Lucas and Maya both chuckled softly, leaning their foreheads against each other.

"You need to shave." Maya murmured. "Your hairs are too ticklish."

"You don't have to kiss me, you know?" he teased.

"Out of the question."

Maya moved and sat on his lap, gazing into the incubator at their baby sleeping soundly. Lucas wrapped his arm around her waist to keep her steady, still gently massaging Mia's tiny hand with his thumb. Maya reached into the other hole of the incubator, gently rubbing Jellybean's soft back as she slumbered.

It felt weird knowing that the baby she'd been carrying for so long was now out in the world, but here she was, alive and breathing. And she would only grow from here on out. Maya was still a little apprehensive and worried for Jellybean and she was still stressed about her growth and recovery, but sitting there with Lucas—all three of them connected—she couldn't help but feel her heart swell in her chest. A comforting warmth that was growing in her heart.

Maya rested her arm on top of Lucas' around her torso. They were a dysfunctional, small little family with a ton of things to work out and fix, but they were one. She had a family she could put in the locket Lucas had given her for her birthday.

In that perfect moment, everything was alright with them. Maya wasn't epileptic, struggling to recover after her nasty injury and surgery. Lucas wasn't having debilitating thoughts over his importance in her life. And Jellybean hadn't been forced into a birth before she ready. They were just a mother and a father with their child.

And in that perfect moment, Maya let herself have a little hope that things might turn out okay.


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: I will be responding to everything in full this weekend! Sorry about the lack of responses! I'm still a little bogged down with school work and I have two crazy exams coming up next week (lol goodbye to my good marks). Also, this still isn't the last chapter. We're almost there though.  
**

**If the timeline of the events of this chapter are confusing, just let me know. When I revise, I can try to make that more clear.**

**To the Guest who asked me to update on January 26th for their birthday. I AM SO SO SO SORRY. I READ IT WRONG THE FIRST TIME AND THOUGHT IT SAID FEBRUARY 26. Your birthday was a month ago! Happy belated birthday! And I'm really sorry that I didn't pay attention! :(**

** Thank you for the reviews! You guys are so sweet and I always appreciate the support! It means so much to me that you guys take time to leave these lovely reviews! The encouragement is very much appreciated! :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own GMW, but Lucaya is bae.**

* * *

_"Maya, you alright?" Ms. Kossal asked as she walked towards her with another woman at her heel scrutinizing Maya's paintings in intrigue._

_Maya leaned against her crutch, smiling and nodding. "A little tired, but nothing I'm not used to. It's my last art showcase ever. I can manage at least one evening."_

_Technically, she hadn't been officially discharged from the hospital yet since they were still testing the effects of the medications she was on, but Riley had managed to get a go ahead from her doctor by calling, emailing, and showing up at her office hundreds of times. In the end, provided that a chaperone went along with Maya, she was allowed to briefly leave for one evening, also to check the effects of the medication with the general public as an environmental stimulus._

_She absolutely hadn't wanted to be coddled by everyone, so she'd requested only Riley come pick her up from the hospital to bring her to the art showcase. The rest of the group was planning to arrive later, once the huge crowd in the presentation hall of the early evening dwindled a bit more._

_Ms. Kossal set a comforting hand on Maya's shoulder._

_"Well, I just want you to know that I'm proud of all your accomplishments and everything you've done these past years I have known you. You are an incredible artist, Maya. There's someone I want you to meet."_

_She stepped away, gesturing to the woman who had been scrutinizing one of Maya's pieces. The woman walked up to Maya with an outstretched hand and a smile._

_"Eloise Preston," she said, giving her hand good, hard shake. "Call me Eloise. I hate Ms. Preston; sounds like my mom. I've heard great things about your artwork, Maya Hart. And Gabriella was right. You don't disappoint."_

_Maya was a little taken aback by the unabashed compliment. "Thank you."_

_"What was the inspiration for this piece?" She asked, gesturing with her chin to Maya's feature piece for her portfolio._

_Maya had finished it only two days prior, working her ass off to make sure she got it done for the show. Even though she'd missed a ton of school, Ms. Kossal had promised her that she would still allow her to participate in the final showcase of the year, even if she didn't have the total number of pieces required._

_"Long story short," Maya said, smiling in amusement as she turned to her painting, "I found out I was pregnant last October and my life turned upside down in every single way. The whole experience kind of put things in perspective, you know? So I tried to capture my entire journey until I had my baby in the piece."_

_"The struggles you endured," Eloise muttered, staring at the painting. "I can easily see your triumphs and failures in this magnificent cacophony. I am curious though, what is this bean shaped thing? Seems kind of out of place. It's very polished compared to the rest."_

_"It's kind of an inside joke or something like that, to be honest. The jellybean is my baby. She was unexpected, but very real and I had some trouble understanding that for a while. I know it doesn't really fit in with the rest of the painting."_

_"But in placing it where you have, you are forcing the viewer to accept the reality of the piece, much like you had to come to accept the reality of your pregnancy."_

_"Yeah." Maya smiled._

_"I especially love the way it looks like a baby in a womb, yet different parts of the amalgamation of colours form different images."_

_The woman rubbed her chin, looking quite pleased. If Maya thought about it, she was the first person who hadn't stared at Maya in shock at her blatant reveal of her pregnancy._

_"Remarkable…" Eloise turned to Ms. Kossal. "I've fallen in love with her art."_

_"I knew you would, Eloise." Ms. Kossal chuckled. "Tell her the good news."_

_"Good news?" Maya asked in confusion._

_"Maya, I have a studio in SoHo and I've been looking for a few fresh, inventive painters and talented people and visionaries to be members of my studio. I wouldn't be able to provide you a stipend in your first year, but if need be, I do have live-in programs for those still in college. In this environment, your art can grow even more and we have the perfect facilities for you to develop your technique and love for art. If you're willing and interested, I would love to have your work showcased in my gallery one day. You have just the kind of talent I have been looking for."_

_It was a little hard for Maya to believe. Getting the opportunity was a dream come true and if she had gotten it any time before October, she would have definitely accepted it as an alternative to college. And though it somewhat pained her to think about the fact that she couldn't devote that time to painting anymore, she knew it was for the best. She was a mother first and foremost now, and that would be a full time job._

_Maya shook her head. "Thanks, but I'll have enough on my plate taking care of my baby. I can't do both. So I'll have to respectfully decline."_

_Eloise stared at her for a few seconds, looking a little surprised by her response, but Maya remained steadfast in her resolve. She'd meant what she had said. Jellybean came first, and Maya's job now was to make sure she gave her baby all her attention._

_"I see. But I'm not giving up quite yet, Maya Hart. I must have your art in my gallery. It's special and one day you're going to become huge. I just know it." Eloise dug through the side pocket of her purse, pulling out a business card and slipping it in Maya's hand with a smile. "If you ever change your mind, give me a call."_

_Eloise and Ms. Kossal walked on, continuing their easy stroll as they observed the exhibits of students. Maya stared at the card, wondering if this was one of those weird universe circumstances. On the one hand, Maya had received an opportunity for work as an artist, but on the other, she had a baby to take care. And if she hadn't had the baby in the first place, she wouldn't have gotten inspiration for her feature piece, and might not have caught the attention of the Eloise at all. She snorted, wondering why things went the way they went sometimes._

_She slipped it in her bag just as Riley came skipping over with a huge grin and a painting of a purple cat watching a sunset on the porch of a beach house. She held it in front of both of them, her eyes dancing in that way they did when she was spazzing over something._

_"Can you believe Dana painted this, Maya?! I begged her for it, and she said I could have it!"_

_Maya chuckled, leaning her head against Riley's shoulder. It'd been a while since she'd last gotten a chance to spend some time with Riley. As head of prom committee, she'd been busy for most of April. Then with exams and senior awards and last day of school preparations, she'd also been particularly bogged down with work. And now as confirmed salutatorian, she was very busy with other preparations for graduation in a month, so she hadn't had much time to spend with Maya. Maya was just glad Riley had taken time out of her busy schedule to be able to support her in the final senior art show._

_"You okay, Peaches?" Riley asked, rubbing her shoulder as she leaned her cheek on Maya's head._

_Maya was a little sad that after this she would be hanging up the paints for good, but it was a sacrifice she was totally willing to make for her baby. Her mom had given up her passions, and Maya had lived a relatively carefree life, if not a bit impoverished and jaded. But life could have been a lot worse for her. And now Maya was going to do the same for Mia._

_"I'm fine. Just relishing the moment. It's the last time I'll experience this after all."_

_They remained like that, relaxed against each other and watching the bustling hall of people as they observed the art of the students._

* * *

It was a bitter sweet day.

Maya should have been jumping for joy by all means. She should have been excited that she'd finally graduated from high school, but she wasn't _quite_ there. Don't get her wrong, she was ecstatic that she had successfully completed her goal. The reception after the ceremony was fantastic and taking pictures with all her friends and the family she'd come to create was a sweet reminder to Maya of the wonderful people who she had to thank for making her pregnancy manageable. Riley had cried like a baby, saddened that their time in high school had officially come to an end. And Maya tried to smile and be happy, especially since she'd been discharged from the hospital a couple weeks prior and could actually take part in the graduation festivities.

But getting her diploma didn't really mean much to her if she couldn't share the news and the experience with her mother.

All around, students all had their family and parents there congratulating them, and though Maya was grateful for Lila and Shawn and Cory and Topanga and Amy and Alan all supporting her as pseudo family, it wasn't quite the same. The brief reprise from her situation was nice and a good breather, but now that she'd gotten graduation out of the way, she wanted nothing more than to visit the other Harts and keep them company as they convalesced. She just wanted to see them at least once that day before she went with the Matthews to their graduation celebration.

It was why she'd quietly slipped away from the reception to head to the hospital, wanting to be with the family that couldn't be there with her. She knew her friends were worried sick—and unfortunately, her boyfriend, who wouldn't stop leaving her texts every five minutes—especially since all she'd done was send Riley a text telling her she was going to the hospital and that she didn't want anyone to come with her.

But Maya needed a little bit of space. She just needed a bit of distance from everyone since seeing their parents with them was a constant reminder of where Katy was. She had considered asking Kermit to be at her graduation, but she hadn't yet been in contact with him since he responded to her letters. Aside from the obvious reasons that she had been in the hospital and too focused on trying to heal after the incidents, she didn't really feel right jumping to him as a possible guardian when he'd deserted Katy and she was now incapacitated. Something about that didn't sit right with her, so Maya was biding her time. She'd decided she wouldn't speak to him until Katy was better to ask her mother if she was ready for Maya to be in contact with Kermit.

Maya leaned against the wall of the ICU hospital floor, rubbing her face with her hands and trying to clear her short spell of dizziness from walking through the building. She put on a brave face in front of her friends so as not to alarm them of her condition, but she wasn't in the best shape if she was perfectly honest. That wasn't to say her health was poor. Maya's limbs were back to full capacity of usage and she didn't have any issues with her motor functions, but she was still in the process of rehab and she did get winded more easily.

Her medication made her feel sluggish. She got dizzy too often and was usually fatigued. There had even been a couple times when she was confused and couldn't remember where she was, and thus, no one thought it wise for her to be on her own, but Maya didn't want to live a life having to rely on everyone else to watch out for her. Her doctor had promised they would try different dosages of other medication to see if they could find one that wouldn't dim her memory and cognition, but it still annoyed Maya that she was trapped in this life of either having blanks in her memory and possible liver damage and not suffering from seizures or suffering from seizures because she didn't want to take medication. She was trapped in a lose-lose existence, no matter what path she decided to take.

Her future looked bleak with that, but she couldn't count her blessings when her poor mother still hadn't woken up after two months and when her poor baby was still stuck in the NICU day in and day out. She was lucky she was even still alive after everything that had happened. She couldn't be selfish and complain about her current situation.

Maya waved at the nurse when she entered her mother's hospital room. The day was bright and sunny and the windows had been opened, the curtains drawn back to brighten the room. Sunlight streamed inside, basking over Katy, the glow of her skin almost angelic despite the scars on her arm.

"Hey Kara. Any changes today?"

She smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, Maya. Katy's brain activity remains the same."

"It's fine." Maya sighed as she walked over to her mother's bedside.

She didn't know why she asked every day when it was always the same answer. Maya hadn't lost hope that her mother would ever wake up, but she couldn't deny that each day that nothing changed was another day that she felt her hope slowly chip away. It'd been two months since the accident and Katy was still asleep. After taking finals to make up for all the school she'd missed while in the hospital, Maya had finished high school, something that Katy had desperately wanted to see, yet she couldn't. It was so ironic.

"I'll give you two time alone," Kara said, gathering her clipboard as she walked toward the door. "You know how to call if you need anything. And congratulations on your graduation, Maya."

"Thank you."

Maya set her diploma on Katy's table beside her bed before she carefully removed her cap and gown. She folded the gown neatly and placed them both on the table as well.

"Here, Mom. I think you wanted this even more than I did." Maya chuckled, sitting down in her usual chair and curling her hand around her Mom's. "I'm moving all the stuff in my room into Lucas' apartment after tonight. We're all still trying to figure out what to do with our home, though. Shawn has been paying off the rent so we're not evicted and so you have a home to return to, but there's only so much I can ask of him."

Katy's hand felt a little bonier than usual, her fingers looking longer and more spindly than Maya remembered. Maya could easily see that Katy had been slowly losing weight, her body growing slightly weaker with each passing day. Dr. Deville had discussed intravenous feeding now that she'd been in her coma for much longer than had been expected. They were doing everything in their power to keep her alive while she was unresponsive, but Maya knew that the doctor wasn't sure if it would matter much in the long run.

She'd overheard him discussing with Cory the possibility of preparing Maya to find a lawyer to transfer ownership of Katy's bank account, assets, and property under Maya's name. It was a precaution for the worst case scenario since Maya was the only family listed in any of her mother's legal documents and statements. Maya was glad Cory had chosen not to bring up that conversation with her because she wasn't sure how she would have responded to it. It was terrifying to think about. Maya barely knew anything about adulthood and all that it entailed, but knowing that she was about to be tossed mercilessly and abruptly into it had made her pulse race and throat go dry from the thought. She hadn't really wanted to think about that with all the crazy already in her life. Still kind of didn't now.

"I graduated Mom. I finished up high school just like you wanted. I never was one to care for school, but here I am." Maya smiled. "Honestly, if you hadn't continued to push me all the time about graduating and going to college, I probably wouldn't have made the effort to complete high school. I know you wanted me to go to college too, Mom, but I hope you understand that that's out of the question with the baby I have to take care of."

She fell silent for a spell, gently rubbing small circles on her mother's hand with her thumb, listening to the sound of traffic outside and the steady beeping of the machines in Katy's room.

"Mom, I fucked up by getting pregnant. But even when I struggled and thought about maybe leaving school altogether, I kept thinking of you. And how you wouldn't have wanted that for me. How I would be following in your footsteps. And I didn't want that.

"No disrespect to you, of course. I know how hard you worked for us. I understand the sacrifices you made more than ever now. But I also know that if I ended up leading the life you led, I don't think I could have managed the way you did. I'm not strong like you, Mom. You raised me by yourself, estranged from your family, estranged from friends and everyone you knew. You didn't have anyone to lean on. You had to be strong for yourself and for me, despite how scared you must have been. But you put aside your whole life just for me. You're the victim, and you've had it the worst out of all of us. I don't know why I never saw that until now. Now that it might be too…"

Maya felt tears pricking the back of her eyes, and she shook her head rapidly, willing herself not to think about that. Her mother would wake up. She _would_.

"So I wanted to apologize if I've ever behaved ungratefully. But I know you'll get your reward in life one day. Your story isn't over, Mom. You still have a chance to lead the life that you want. And I'm going to make sure of it. You've always been strong for me. Now it's my turn to be strong for you. It's my turn to be there for you. I'll handle everything on this end, so you just worry about waking up, Mom."

With that, Maya rose to her feet, figuring it was time to greet Jellybean for the day. She stretched her legs out and ignored the slight wave of dizziness that wracked her body for a few seconds. Once she'd made sure she was steady, Maya leaned down and kissed her mother's head above the bandages.

"I'll see you later, Mom," Maya murmured. "Wake up soon so that Mia can get to know the strong woman who made me who I am today."

~.~.~

Every time Maya visited Jellybean, her eyes always seemed to be a different colour. Maya wondered if it was a possible trick of the dimmed lighting every time she came to be with her baby, but Jellybean's eyes were a slightly deeper blue that day, a bit darker than the variations of crystal, bright blue they'd been for about a couple of weeks.

She was sucking gently on her pacifier, her cheeks puffed out as she stared up at Maya, blinking slowly every few seconds. Every time Maya visited her NICU room, Jellybean seemed to easily respond to her in her own ways, with her toes curling or hands forming these tiny fists when Maya talked. Nurse Johnson had told her that Mia's cognition and memory retention as well as the senses in her brain had developed and that she could recognize Maya's face and voice, though she hadn't yet made the connection that Maya was her mother. The fists and toe curling were the only way she really knew how to acknowledge Maya since her motor functions were still out of her control.

Maya was just glad that she could communicate easily with her baby. She'd been scared that because Mia was out of her body now, she wouldn't be able to connect with her like she used to when she was carrying her, but it was nearly the same. And Maya was grateful that she could actually see her baby's reactions to her speaking. It was a true gift.

"We have a bet pool going on, Jellybean. Everyone is trying to take a guess at what your eye colour will be in the future. I'm the only one who thinks they'll be green. Everyone else thinks since your eyes have been blue for a few weeks now, they'll stay that way." Maya shrugged, chuckling to herself. "But I know I'm right. I don't really know why I think that—I guess it's mother's intuition—but I just have a strong feeling deep down that you'll have Lucas' eyes."

Maya lightly tickled the bottom of Mia's foot, and Jellybean curled her toes as she had taken to doing in response to the touch. Maya smiled, happy to see her baby was becoming even more responsive the more time passed. Soon, Maya would finally get the chance to hold her, something she'd really wanted to do for the past few days.

"You're getting bigger and stronger. I'm proud of you, Jellybean." Her cheeks and skin were a healthy shade of pink, and she'd long since stopped needing the extra oxygen, though Dr. Jerry was keeping a close eye on her lungs since her breathing was at times irregular. "The doctor says that if you keep it up, you'll be ready to go to special care nursery in no time. You're definitely a fighter. Your godmother, Riley, said it runs in the Hart family."

Maya caressed Mia's plush cheek, watching as her eyelids fluttered from the touch. She could see a lot of Lucas in her for some reason. It was strange, and though Maya wouldn't necessarily say Jellybean looked _like_ Lucas since she didn't have any super defined characteristics yet, she resembled him in some ways. She seemed calm and sensible, maybe a little reflective. The type of person who might contemplate life or something. She probably would take after him. Maya had a feeling the Friar lineage probably had some overpowering genes.

"Always dream big and keep hope. I swear to you, Mia. I won't ever let you lose your hope in life. My mom has lost hope. I've lost hope multiple times, but you're going to be the Hart that can finally break away from the curse that seems to haunt us Harts in life. It's time we took control of our destiny. And even though I ruined mine, I'll make sure you don't ever lose sight of yours, okay?

"Become great. Become better than I could ever become. I promise I'll sacrifice everything for you so you can have the best life you could ever dream to have. Things might be hard at the start, but I know that we'll all be okay. We just have to stay together as a family.

"I don't make very many promises. I don't believe in them and the ones in my life have gotten broken too many times to count, but I believe in you and in Lucas and in me that we can make it as a family. That we can last." She hooked her pinky with her baby's tiny one. Mia's finger curled with the rest of her fingers, wrapping as much as it could around Maya's. "I promise you that I will do everything in my power to make sure that I'll always be there for you when you need me and that your life is comfortable, no matter what it takes. In turn, promise me that you'll grow up living a happy and hopeful life to the fullest, regretting the things you did do, not the ones you didn't."

Jellybean's eyes drifted shut, her breathing slowing as she fell asleep, and Maya's heart skipped a beat in her chest, feeling an indescribable joy as she watched her beautiful baby girl. It was overwhelming, the warmth that filled her heart as she sat beside Mia. Maya sure as hell hadn't expected to have a baby in her final year of high school, but now that she had her, nothing could ever feel as gratifying as being with her child.

"We'll be strong for each other no matter what, baby girl."


	30. Epilogue

**Soooo with this final chapter, I bring Enceinte to a corny close (to kind of end on a less angst-y note than we've been lol! Sorry about all the angst!) I've been working on this story so long, it feels weird to have written the last chapter, but here we are: another daughter off to college, and I'm kind of sad right now. It's been a long ride, but I'm happy that I got to take you on this journey with me. [It's unrevised as of this moment, but I'll try to take care of it later! Sorry!]  
**

**That being said, _this_ story is over but the story isn't done yet. I've got a couple sequels to come. One that functions as a transition/fill in the blanks between Enceinte and its sequel. And the other that _is_ the sequel. So more drama and angst to come! ;3**

**I would like to thank everyone who read, reviewed, favourited, followed, anything really. I'm so grateful to you all for reading my story and for the encouragement and kindness you all have given me throughout this process. This was my first venture into writing drama/melodrama, and the experience has been fun, trying, and a learning one all at once. I can't thank you enough, and I mean it when I say that you all are the most kindhearted people I have ever met and your support has truly helped me grow as a writer. Despite all the times I let you all down, you still stuck with this to the end and for that I am so grateful and happy. Thank you for reading my story. It means the world to me, and you all are very dear to my heart.**

**I hope you enjoyed Enceinte, and hope you tune in for the sequels! Thank you for everything, loves! :D**

**À la prochaine!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own GMW, but Lucaya is bae.  
**

* * *

"Does it feel weird?" Lucas asked as they sat down on the lobby chairs of the pediatrics floor, waiting for Mia's discharge from the hospital to be finalized.

Once the hospital ran the paperwork through the system, Maya and Lucas would be well on their way home to start their lives as parents. Maya gazed down at Mia resting in her arms, bundled in her green blankie. She smiled, her heart swelling in her chest as she watched her sleep.

"No. I've been waiting for this day for a long time."

_I can finally take my baby home_.

It'd been a long summer of hospital visits and learning how to be a caregiver and mother to Jellybean while she made the change from being dependent on the hospital to care for her needs to depending on Maya. Her time in the special care nursery hadn't been more than two months at most, but it felt like it'd been a year, each day that Mia stayed in the hospital another day that Maya grew more impatient for her to be able to come home. It wasn't so much the process that was annoying, so much as the fact that being in a hospital longterm was starting to lower her morale quite a bit. There was something almost dark about hospitals and a few of the sights she'd accidentally seen were real spirit dampers.

Maya had mixed feelings about her transition into motherhood after Jellybean became more of her charge. On the one hand, she'd been glad that her baby was finally on the way to healing and she could now hold her, but on the other, it scared Maya that now she was being held responsible for most of the care. As weeks went by, the doctors had slowly put her and Lucas more in charge of things concerning Jellybean so when she was finally discharged, they would be ready for full time handling of their baby.

The first time Maya held her Jellybean, she'd been terrified, her fingers trembling as she'd picked her up from her cot. Maya's biggest fear had been that Jellybean would start crying or fussing because she didn't want to be held by Maya or _worse_, that she could accidentally drop her precious baby. Lucas had reassured her that everything would be alright, and he'd been right. Mia had been so light and small and fit in Maya's arms perfectly. It had been a magical moment and Maya was absolutely positive she had fallen deeply in love when as she held her little bundle of joy. Maya found that holding Jellybean and resting her head on her shoulder, bouncing her lightly and talking into her ear was the best way to lull her to sleep. After that, it didn't become very hard to take care of Jellybean.

Breastfeeding had been a whole other story though.

The doctors had taken a sample of her milk to test it and ensure it was safe for her baby. Traces of her AEDs were found so her regimen was alternating between breastfeeding and formulas so as not to accidentally "hook" Jellybean on any of the drugs, so to speak. Once it was safe, Jellybean's primary care provider had implored her to learn as it was the best method to feed her baby. Maya's first time was a nightmare, easily the most awkward thing she'd ever experienced in her life, even beating out when she'd lost her virginity to her ex Chris when they'd both been virgins. Not even the awkwardness of their floppy fish sex held a candle to breastfeeding.

Maya had kicked everyone out of the room save for one nurse because she'd felt completely uncomfortable and embarrassed with the doctors around and even Lucas there. Nurse Johnson had stayed behind and had given her tips for nursing as well as comfortable positions and how to understand Mia's cues for when she wanted to feed.

She wouldn't lie, it had been just strange at first and she hadn't been able to grasp her head around the fact that she _could_ breastfeed (she'd always just seen it as something older women could do), but now it was almost second nature, though she still wasn't at a point where she could comfortably take care of her baby in front of everyone. It was funny though. However scared Maya had originally been to hold Mia, she didn't want to set her down for one second now.

It had taken Maya about a month or two, but she'd finally developed a sort of rhythm to being a mother. After work, she'd head to the hospital, and then she got used to the simple things like bathing Jellybean, feeding her, talking to her as she lounged on her hospital cot. Maya knew it was going to be more difficult because she wasn't going to be assisted by hospital staff who were there when she wasn't, but she was prepared. Fatherhood came surprisingly natural for Lucas (the asshole) who pretty heavily doted on Mia. Maya already expected him to spoil her, but she did have to admit seeing Lucas so lovestruck by their daughter warmed her heart.

As for Mia, her lungs were still not as strong as the doctor would have hoped, but sometimes Maya wondered if that was true because she had quite the set of pipes when she cried. She was still fairly calm, but Nurse Johnson had notified Maya that that would probably change once she got used to a more fixed environment.

But Jellybean had grown a lot since her NICU days. Her baby hairs had started to grow, platinum blonde and soft and wispy on her head. Her eyes were baby blue at this point—almost exactly the same colour as Maya's for about a month now—though Maya still didn't expect the colour to stick. But one thing Maya knew for sure was Mia would probably take after Lucas a lot. Every time Mia's mouth would curve up into that adorable toothless, goofy grin when Lucas nuzzled her nose with his, Maya saw his smile.

As if on cue, Mia woke up, her eyes fluttering open slowly. She blinked up at them drowsily, her eyes dazed and sleepy. Maya took her tiny hand in hers and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

"Good morning," Maya murmured softly. "Did you sleep well, Bean?"

Mia's face scrunched up as she squirmed in the blankie, and Maya picked up her pacifier from her bag, putting it in Mia's mouth. She sucked on it quietly, settling down as Maya gently rubbed her tummy to calm her. Maya knew she was lucky that she had a pretty tranquil baby, but she knew Lila was right when she said that Mia wouldn't remain calm like this forever. Technically, Jellybean was four months old, but her premature birth had slowed her development and the doctors stated that at the current moment she was about at the same place as a three month old baby. Given time, she would catch up and probably at a very high rate now that she would no longer be in the hospital. Maya _expected_ her to get more rowdy; she was a Hart after all.

"Why do I get the feeling that Mia's going to start out so quiet, but she'll become just like you?" Lucas asked, a warm smile on his face as he gazed down at their baby.

"I was just thinking the same thing." Maya chuckled. "In a few months, I bet she's going to be crawling all over the place and giving me a hard time though."

Lucas was silent for a few seconds, his brows a bit furrowed on his face. He looked pensive, and Maya became a bit concerned from the expression on his face.

She frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Listen, Maya. I've been thinking about something for a while now but… You should take the offer to work at the art gallery."

Maya's brows lifted slightly in surprise. "How did you find out?"

"Riley told me," Lucas said. Maya sighed, knowing she shouldn't have told Riley about the news. "I know you're interested. And I know you're giving up art for good, but I think it's okay for you to continue what you love. I can sacrifice some hours and take care of Jellybean so you can paint."

"Lucas, you already can't go to your top choice school. I can't do that to you. And I'm not going to not watch Jellybean just because I want to paint. I can't put more time into anything other than our baby. That's selfish."

"Maya, it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make," he said seriously. "I want to do it for you. You deserve this chance. You earned it, especially after how crappy this year has been. I'll watch Jellybean when you want to paint so you can spend some time enjoying what you love to do. You want me to continue school and not give up my dreams, and I want the same for you."

"How would that even work?" Maya asked hesitantly.

She couldn't lie that the prospect was intriguing to her, but she meant what she had said. If her painting took away time to take care of her baby, she wasn't going to indulge herself. Mia came first.

"I have classes during the day while you're with her. And I'll come back home after work and when you want to paint, I can watch Jellybean. You can even spend time painting while she's napping. We can make this work."

Maya hesitated, momentarily glancing away and chewing on her lower lip. It was a tempting offer, but Maya was still hesitant if it meant not giving her full attention to Jellybean. But Lucas took her chin and turned her face so she was looking him in the eye.

"I want you to have this opportunity," Lucas said seriously. "Maya, take this shot. You worked hard and earned it."

"Fine. I'll consider it and maybe do a little bit, but not right now. I'm going to wait until things have settled down, and we have a stronger handle on being parents. And even if I accept the offer, the second it feels like I'm not spending enough time with our kid, I'm done, got it?"

"Yeah. I understand."

Lucas smiled, leaning forward, and pressed his lips to hers softly. When he pulled away, Maya stared at him in slight surprise, though it had been a pleasant surprise.

"What was that for, Huckleberry?" Maya asked.

He had a shit eating grin on his face. "Because I love you."

She could feel her cheeks grow a little warm. Maya wasn't really one for PDA, and his frequent and easy displays of affection flustered her. She would be lying if she said she understood why he was so handsy sometimes. There were times Maya didn't understand what it was about her that Lucas found so great, because half the time, she couldn't see herself in any way other than as a screw up.

"What brought this on?"

"I just realized how lucky I am that some random blonde girl initiated a relationship on a subway with me, went through all cliché experiences of a relationship and ended it all within ten seconds."

She rolled her eyes and snorted at the reminder. Lucas' expression sobered as he glanced down at Mia, gently stroking her head.

"And I realized how lucky I am that we became best friends, that she took a chance with me for real, that we had a daughter. And then I realized, I'm happiest and luckiest when that random blonde girl is by my side."

He reached into his jacket pocket and fished around before removing his hand. What he pulled out was a beautiful golden ring with a small blue stone. Maya's jaw slowly dropped in shock, her eyes wide as she shook her head.

What the hell was he doing?

"Maya, I know we're only eighteen. I know we might be immature and maybe a little stupid, and I know I've screwed up more than once. Some people might think it's ridiculous to think this this early, but I know one thing for sure is that I love you, Maya Penelope Hart. I've never loved anyone as much as I love you. And I don't think I ever will love anyone else as much as I love you. I know I want to spend the rest of my life with you and our daughter."

Maya stared at him, feeling utterly conflicted. She was barely able to grasp her head around the fact that she was a mother. Her life was too hectic to get married, and if she was being honest, she wasn't sure she even wanted marriage in the first place. Getting hitched would jinx them and doom them to fall apart.

"_Wait_. Hold on Lucas. Don't you think this is a little rash? We're barely adults and just because we had a kid doesn't mean we should jump into marriage. I don't want to ruin what we have. Let's wait until we're ready."

He snorted. "I know. I agree."

"I mean, my mom got married as soon as she found out she was pregnant and look how that turned out for her. My life has already been too similar to my mom's. I don't want this to be a Katy 2.0 situation."

"Maya, it won't be a Katy 2.0 situation because I'm not proposing."

"And speaking of my mother, I want her to be at whatever wedding I may or may not have in the future and until she wakes up, there's no way I'm ever going to get hitched without her. I'm sorry, marriage is the last thing on my mind. I don't really want it."

"I don't want it either." Lucas rose a brow. "At least not for a while."

"And then there's the fact that we've already got—_mmph._"

Lucas stopped her chattering with his finger, shushing her gently and looking like he was about to die of laughter.

"Maya, calm down. Let me finish." He caressed her cheek, that same look of fondness on his face. "This isn't a proposal, Shortstack. At least, not the kind of proposal you're thinking of. I'm not asking you to marry me, Maya. I'm asking you if you'll wait for me to become someone who can support you and Mia. I'm not good enough right now and I failed you, and I do want to marry you, but only when we're both ready and only when I can be someone you could be proud to call a boyfriend or husband. However many years down the line that is. Or if that's a never, I understand, but I'll still want you."

He took her hand and slid the ring on her finger, and Maya's heart felt like it was going to fly out of her chest.

"That's what this ring is. A promise from me to you. I just want you to believe in me, even if it takes me a long time."

"I do believe in you, Ranger Rick." Maya looked at the ring, unsure how she felt about it. Part of her was definitely feeling ecstatic. She wanted to gush over it. But she also felt a little weird about it in some ways. She wasn't sure what it was about it, but the other part of her felt like something with this much weight would accelerate or set into motion something unpleasant for them. The locket for her birthday was one thing, but this was a whole other. "But I don't want you to have expectations for something I might never be ready for, you know?"

Lucas nodded. "I understand that. I'm not going to push you to accept the promise. But I just wanted to let you know how I felt because I couldn't hold it in anymore. I won't bring it up again unless you're ready."

"Okay." She slipped her hand into his, lacing their fingers together. "It's beautiful. Thank you for getting it for me."

"Of course." He gave her hand a soft squeeze. "Also, just so you know, Riley is throwing a surprise 'Welcome Home' party at my mom's place for Jellybean. I thought you might like to be prepared since I know you don't like surprises."

That explained why Riley hadn't answered her phone at all the entire day.

"Thanks for the warning." Maya rolled her eyes, rocking Mia gently when she started fussing slightly in her blanket. "I should have known Riley would plan something like that."

"I guess she just wanted to throw one big party where everyone could get together before she left for Yale."

Maya supposed it made sense. Farkle had left for MIT the week before and most of their friends were also leaving for college soon if they hadn't left already. Lucas' freshman orientation was the next week and he would be very busy, so this was the most opportune time to throw this party, before everyone's college lives started and they became too busy to spend time together.

"Mr. Friar? Ms. Hart?" the receptionist called out from her desk. "You're good to go."

"Thank you," Lucas responded before he stood up. "Well then, I guess it's time to go. Did you want to visit your mom again before we leave?"

Maya shook her head with a sigh, giving Lucas a reassuring smile when he watched her in concern. "I saw her earlier today. I'll be back tomorrow again with Mia."

_Mom, Jellybean and I have left here for good. It's your turn now. So hurry up and wake up soon._

"So it begins, huh? Parenthood."

"Yeah… I guess it does." Maya stood up carefully, stroking Mia's cheek when she cooed softly, kicking her legs inside the blanket. "We'll be okay, right?"

Maya looked around the hospital, a grim reminder of how trying and difficult the past months had been for them all. It was hard to believe that a little less than a year ago, Maya had just found out she was pregnant. It felt like _years_ had passed, and she wasn't entirely sure they'd escaped the situation with minimal damage. Aside from her epilepsy and her mother still comatose, Maya kept feeling like there was something lingering around the corner, waiting for her to drop her guard before it pounced. Like worse still was yet to come. She tried not to focus on that thought—she was trying this new thing with having hope—but it was always clinging in the back of her mind.

Lucas wrapped an arm around her shoulders, kissing the top of her head. "As long as we stick together, I'm sure we will."

Maya nodded, leaning against Lucas. She believed him. If he had hope that things would be alright, then she would too. Maybe they weren't perfect, and maybe not knowing whether or not her mother was ever going to wake up again after all these months had passed was terrifying Maya like nothing else, but she could at the very least believe that maybe things would be okay. Or at the very least, they were starting to pick up, right? At least that much, she believed.

She was eighteen, and she barely knew anything about motherhood and didn't know how to handle all the new responsibilities that were suddenly thrown at her, but she would do her best. For Lucas, for herself, for her friends and family. For everyone that helped her get to where she was. And especially for Jellybean.

"Let's go home, Lucas."

They walked out of the hospital, ready to begin a new chapter in their lives.

_Parenthood, ready, set, here we come._

* * *

_~Fin!~_


End file.
